Hi! It’s Dr. Ericka here, your Double Board-Certified Psychiatrist and Podcast Host of Better with Dr. Ericka. I’m passionate about helping you be better, do better, and live better. I recently took a staycation, and I remember a friend asking me why. Let me first admit that this is my first every staycation. I have been off from work and stayed home over the weekend, but this was different. First this time off and plan was intentional. It wasn’t me calling being at home a staycation because I was tired or didn’t have anything to do. Let me share with you lessons that I learned.
- Sometimes you just need to get out of the house
One of the biggest reasons that I took this staycation was that I’ve been tired. Part of my burnout recovery plan has been to be intentional about getting rest. I came to the conclusion that when I am at home, I’m always looking to do some type of housework or thinking about something that I need to do. I needed to get out of the house to be away from the temptation to fill my time with random housework or to be triggered to feel guilty about not working. Being an entrepreneur, it feels like there is literally something to do ALL of the time. On top of that, my mother was a homemaker, so spots on the floor or dust drive me nuts.
- You don’t always need to go far
For me, I knew the key was simply getting out of the house. I needed to not be tempted to run errands or piddle. It wasn’t about going to some fancy place or to another state or to the beach or out of the country. I just needed a safe place out of my house. Not to mention, I have just started getting on planes with the pandemic. Some of you may feel the need to be further away to separate yourself from every day life, and that’s ok, too.
- You have to be in a place that feels safe
A place feeling safe is personal, so only you will know if it feels safe. I know that I can create my own environment in a hotel room, and I spent so many years on the road prior to the pandemic that if feels kind of like home. I have also considered some cabins, but I started with a hotel because I don’t feel concerned about security there. After the hotel, I did try a tiny cabin, so I did 2 staycations in a one week span. Yes, I was on a staycation roll. The reason the place for your staycation needs to feel safe is that you don’t want anxiety to negate your rest.
- Have a clear vision of the goal of your staycation
An essential part of picking the right staycation location is knowing what is the goal for your staycation. Some of you may staycation for romantic getaways or for family fun time. Some of you may also be looking to staycation to have fun with friends. The staycation in the hotel was for me was to relax, but not necessarily unplug, so a hotel worked great. My next staycation was to unplug, so the cabin and no tv were great. Clarity of the purpose of your staycation will help you plan an experience that will fit your needs and desires, so you can get the desired result. It’s more challenging to unplug if you’re in a busy, crowded urban place.
- It take practice to unapologetically relax
The key to a great staycation is to be able to relax, recharge, and enjoy yourself. You can’t do any of those things if you’re constantly thinking about everything you need to do. At home, I have struggle with constant guilt that I should be DOING something. I should be doing housework. I should be working on my business. I should be looking at my finances. There is always something to do, and I historically feel guilty about all of it. Everywhere I look, I see something that needs to be cleaned, a spot on the floor, smudges on the vanity, dishes, food on the stove, dust on the table…you get the picture. I knew I needed to get away from all of this to work on the skill of unapologetically relaxing. Getting past guilt is intentional, but those other triggers and distractions are missing when I am out of the house. Getting out of the house removes all of those thoughts, so it’s easier to fight any other urges. In addition, work with my therapist helped me to be in a mental space that I could release myself from the guilt. Honestly, I’m not sure if I could have been able to unapologetically relax without the work done with my therapist, acupuncturist, and mindset coach.
My staycation adventures were exactly what I needed and were more than I ever asked for. I truly did feel like a new woman! I encourage you to try new things on your journey to put YOU back in YOUR life. You have to be intentional of making space for yourself and recharging.
For more helpful tips on how you can be better, do better, and live better, listen to my podcast, Better with Dr. Ericka, at www.BetterThePodcast.com. Until next time, this is Dr. Ericka and have a better day!
