After a long and stressful week at work, we all feel like we could use a vacation. But sometimes, hopping on a place and going to an exotic island just isn’t an option. Travel restrictions, a limited budget or not enough time – there are lots of reasons why travel just isn’t in the cards.
But you know what? You don’t need to go anywhere to experience the comforts that a vacation provides. You can spend the whole weekend at home, and if you do it right, on Monday, you’ll be feeling rested, revitalized and ready to take on the challenges of another week.
Not sure how to make that happen? Then this article can help. Here are our tips on how to make a weekend at home feel like a vacation!
Friday Night – Set the Scene
The weekend starts on Friday evening after work, so the first thing you’ll want to do is to stop working. Think of this as a real vacation. You wouldn’t spend your hard-earned money to travel somewhere and then waste it on answering emails. Put the phone away and focus on enjoying the weekend ahead of you. They’ll be plenty of time for that once the week starts.
Since your goal is to feel rested and revitalized on Monday morning, we don’t recommend going out with friends on Friday night. If you were feeling stressed all week and you couldn’t wait for it to finally be over, you might overdo it. You’ll stay out late, and on Saturday, you’ll wake up groggy and with a hangover.
Instead, you’ll want to plan what you’re going to do during the weekend and go buy all the supplies you need. You’ll also want to set a budget. Remember that although you won’t be travelling, this is still a vacation. It’s a staycation so give yourself permission to splurge a little.
Once you’ve done the groceries and have everything you need, it’s time to set the scene. Even if you’ve been sleeping in the same bedroom for years, with a few small changes, you can make it feel like a fancy hotel room.
First, clean it, so when you wake up on Saturday morning, it looks like somewhere you want to be. Change the sheets, maybe put one of your pillows in a silk pillowcase and spray the bed with a little scented pillow mist.
Now the work is officially over, and to ease into relaxation mode, you can start with a bath. But not just any bath – a spa-worthy bath! Get the temperature just right, and bring in the bath bombs, scented candles, face masks – anything you need to feel pampered. Put on some nice music and let your worries melt away.
Are you starting to feel better? Once you’re done with the bath, put on the most comfortable loungewear in Canada and make yourself a home vacation cocktail: a mojito for a Caribbean vibe, a hot toddy for après ski, Aperol spritz to channel a vacation in Italy – there are lots of options, think of a destination you’d like and choose your cocktail.
While you’re sipping on your cocktail, order some food from your favourite restaurant, find something you’ve been meaning to watch on Netflix, sit back and relax.
Saturday – Give Yourself a Nice, Nice Day
After that relaxing Friday evening, you’ll, of course, want to sleep in on Saturday morning. You’ve already made your bedroom look nice, so now you can enjoy the fruits of your labour. Even after you wake up, you don’t have to get up right away. You’re on vacation. Enjoy it! Lay in bed for a while.
Once you feel like you’ve had enough, take a shower and go outside. You don’t want to spend the whole weekend inside doing nothing. Then it will feel like an average weekend, and this one is supposed to be like a vacation. When you’re on vacation, you don’t spend the whole day in your hotel room. Plus, too much time indoors will make you feel lethargic.
You need to get some light exercise. You could go for a walk or a jog in the park, maybe go to the gym afterwards. Other fun ways to get exercise are to go to the park with your family or go shopping.
After this, you could either go to a real spa to treat yourself, or you could have another spa-worthy bath at home.
For dinner, since you have more time, you could either cook yourself something you’ve wanted to try for a long time or try a new restaurant – either go there or order the meal at home.
This is the evening when you’ll want to meet up with your friends and enjoy each other’s company. You’ve had a chance to calm down a little, and being in the company of people you love will revitalize you.
However, if you still feel like having some alone time, you could build a blanket fort in your living room, lounge in it and finally read that book you’ve been putting off.
Sunday – Plan Your Re-Entry
When you wake up on Sunday morning, you’ll probably feel a lot more rested and in a better mood, but also well aware that this is the last day of your vacation. You’ll want to enjoy this day but also use it to get ready for the week ahead. So get up and make yourself a delicious breakfast you can have in bed.
Today, you don’t want to sleep too long, so you can still fall asleep on time in the evening and wake up refreshed on Monday.
After you’ve had breakfast, pick a movie you’ve wanted to watch but haven’t had the time and immerse yourself in another world.
The next activity is yoga in your living room. There’s a reason why so many retreats offer yoga for their guests. It’s a great way to reach your maximum level of relaxation and push beyond it. If you’ve never done yoga before, there are a ton of videos on YouTube for beginners. Once you’re done with yoga, you can also play some guided meditation.
And it’s time to go outside again. Take a nice long walk while listening to a podcast or an audiobook. When you come back home, make a list of all the things you’re grateful for. It will remind you of all the things you already have in your life that make you happy, and on Monday, you’ll be in the right frame of mind to pursue your goals with a positive attitude.
