How To: Staycation

Ever have those weeks where every day feels like the same monotonous routine? Like you just can’t seem to shake the feeling of redundancy? Chances are, you may just need a hard reset. It’s too easy to get caught up in a cycle consisting of too much work and too little play. Every now and then, something sweet is deserved.

In a perfect world, spending a weekend in your favorite town or exploring a new area would be the best way to fight the funk. However, our current world clearly isn’t perfect and things don’t always work out so flawlessly─including travel. This doesn’t mean that you can’t or shouldn’t make the time for yourself to slow down and reset. As college students, not only are we limited on funds, but our obligations also act as impediments to travel, which brings us to our solution: a staycation. 

We can’t tell what’s better—sunbathing at a white sand beach or snuggling up in this exact spot. Photo found here.

While a staycation may not be the most exciting remedy for getting out of a rut, it does make the most sense for a college student’s time and budget. All it takes is a little bit of brainstorming and research. There are two possible routes for a staycation─days spent in the comfort of your own home, or in your local community. Either way, clear your schedule. To make this staycation worthwhile, it needs to be approached like a normal vacation; meaning that a plan should be in order. Whether you need a change of scenery or some downtime, a staycation will get the job done. 

Here are a few tips to keep in mind for next time you decide a staycation is needed: 

Put your phone down 

If you were on a normal vacation, you wouldn’t spend a few hours a day working, so don’t do that here either. This means hold off on any unnecessary obligations, even as small as responding to emails. This brings us to our second tip. 

Clear your schedule 

By freeing up your schedule completely, you will immediately find that the options are limitless. It doesn’t count as a staycation if the days are cluttered with obligations and stress. Just because you may not be hopping on on a plane or filling up your tank for a drive doesn’t mean this doesn’t count as vacation time. Give yourself the deserved and needed time to unwind. 

Prepare in advance 

Don’t leave chores undone until your planned staycation day (or two). Change your sheets. Go to the grocery store. Do your laundry. If you were going on a normal vacation you wouldn’t wake up in the morning and spend a few hours cleaning, so be sure to do that prior, to maximize your relaxation. 

Go to bed alarm-free 

The best part about vacation is that there’s no need to worry about sleeping through your alarm because you don’t need one. Don’t sleep the day away, but be sure to listen to your body. If you end up sleeping much later than usual, that’s okay because you cleared your schedule earlier in the week. Chances are, if you’re getting a few more Zzz’s than normal, they are necessary. 

Switch the space up 

Do something a little differently than normal to spice it up. If it’s close to a holiday, consider decorating just a little. Infuse your water with fruit. Purchase a seasonal pastry before. It’s the simple details that make all the difference. 

Now that we’ve covered the prep, the rest is up to you! Brainstorm some ideas for how you’d like to spend your next staycation. Be sure to tag @theedgemag if you’d like to share! 

Featured image found here.

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