How to Have a Spring Break Staycation
Ah, spring break at home—an excuse to never get out of our comfiest pajamas and embrace the coziness of the couch for one full week. Well, that’s not all we’ll be doing during our spring break staycation, but it’s a good place to start. Staycations are all about embracing exactly what you want to do, without any pressure—from your family, from your boss, or from yourself—to do otherwise. They offer the relaxation of a vacation without the whirlwind of activity, and flurry of spending, of a traditional vacation, truly bringing you the best of both worlds.
They’re great when you’re on a budget, or when you simply need some time to really enjoy the beautiful home you’ve created. There are so many ways to have a spring break staycation, but the most important place to start is with the right attitude and expectations. Here’s some of our advice on how to have the best spring break staycation ever.
Rewrite Your Routine
The first, and most important step to any successful spring break staycation, is to step out of your comfort zone—or rather, into your comfort zone. That’s right, you have permission to completely ignore your daily routine. It’s important to reset your brain sometimes, shake it out of its muscle memory of getting up early, drinking coffee as you get dressed, and getting on with your daily schedule. What if you ignored your alarm clock? What if…you didn’t set an alarm at all? You know those blankets you’ve thrown on the couch? Those are just begging to be nestled under with a good magazine or a book (remember those?) or your favorite Netflix series, no matter what time of day it is. We invite you to ignore your clock, to eat dessert for breakfast, and breakfast for dinner. See what happens when you change things up, you may be pleasantly surprised.
Dress the Part
This can have very different meanings depending on what your staycation goals are. For some, “spring break staycation” might mean wearing all the vacation outfits you’d normally wear on spring break, from bathing suits in the bathtub to cute springy dresses while you do the dishes. But for many, this could mean something more along the lines of embracing your favorite loungewear looks and taking your comfy style to the next level. Whatever you choose, it’s all about what takes you out of your element, and into “spring break from home” mode.
Leave Responsibilities at the Door
This is the only rule of spring staycation—and it’s a hard one to abide by. When you’re technically on vacation, but still surrounded by a house that needs cleaning, groceries that need doing, and a million other tasks that have built up over time, it’s hard to simply ignore them. We recommend preparing for your spring staycation ahead of time, doing the shopping, and making sure your house is sparkling clean (or relatively neat, anyway) so you’re not distracted by your to-do list. In order for your mind and body to take a break from the usual routine, responsibilities need to be a far-off thought, not weighing you down as you try to enjoy a bubble bath.
Find the New in Your Surroundings
Taking a staycation gives you a chance to see things with fresh eyes. Without the pressures of time or day-to-day responsibilities, things tend to take on a new sensibility, and our understanding of the world can shift like that. This could mean simply exploring your immediate surroundings, like your neighborhood, taking the time to wander into any parks that you’ve never really spent time in, that old oak tree you always walk by, or a botanic garden that’s in bloom. It could also mean finally going into the store, cafe, or restaurant that you’ve always been curious about.
Taking a simple walk around your neighborhood can bring a huge range of possibilities in itself, but branching out to a new area has the potential to bring even more. You could be living ten minutes away from your new favorite dog park, dumpling spot, or cul-de-sac. Just make sure you bring a light jacket or cardigan for your staycation promenade in spring.
Take a Vacation from the Screens
Last but not least, here’s an invitation to take a break from your screens. This spring staycation, embrace what’s around you, from your home to your neighborhood to your loved ones. Sometimes quality time needs to be curated, and trying our best to stay away from phones and TVs (unless it’s movie night) helps us to better connect to our surroundings.
These are our suggestions for how to make your spring staycation the best it can possibly be. Check out the posts below for more tips and tricks from Lands’ End!