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How to have a holiday at home

While hopes of exotic trips abroad may not be an option right now, it doesn’t mean we can’t have our own holiday at home. A holiday is a time to disconnect from work and really appreciate what we have around us.

When was the last time you actually allowed yourself a solid block of genuine down-time at home?
We sleep most soundly in our own beds and the smell of home can even make us breathe a little easier. It’s time to capitalise on this and have the most relaxing holiday we’ve ever had, without going anywhere at all.

Here’s a few of our tried-and-trusted tips on how to holiday at home. Soon, you’ll feel blissfully rested and ready to go again by simply staying put.

Turn off the news

To get yourself in holiday mode at home, you need to switch off from your everyday routine. Many of us have got used to waking up with the latest headlines on the radio, or catching the late night news before we head upstairs to bed. When you’re abroad, you tend to leave all this behind.

There’s no need to have your alarm on, so that one’s covered. If you happen to be enjoying some radio or TV on the hour, just turn the volume down or switch channels to avoid the news. The world and its politics will carry on spinning without you.

Take a digital detox

While we’re on the subject of switching off, this is the week to seriously cut back on screen-time. Actively try to limit yourself at every opportunity – it’s harder than you think to start with. You may need to be fairly ruthless!

Avoid carrying your phone around with you all day. Instead, check it briefly, every four hours or so. People can wait to hear back from you, and social media won’t collapse without your involvement. If you’re struggling to exercise self-restraint on social media, then uninstall your apps for a week. They’re simple to reinstall when you’re back to work next week.

If you want to keep on top of emails, then promise yourself you’ll only spend 15 minutes at the end of the day looking through them. Have the main focus as deleting as many as possible. Use your out-of-office for both work and personal emails too.

Try not to go online to look up every single answer you need either. Most of the time, we can actually make an educated guess and function perfectly well without Google – just like the good old days. Recognise that, while the internet is brilliant at giving us any missing information we crave, it’s also designed to suck you in and keep you surfing, wasting precious time. Use it for essentials only and close down the lid of the laptop as soon as you can.

Enjoy an afternoon snooze

The art of afternoon napping is a skill we tend to get better at when we’re on holiday – but being at home isn’t a reason not to practise it. Factor in some rest time every day after lunch, whether it’s in bed with the curtains closed, with a pillow on a rug in the garden or just with your feet up on the sofa. If you don’t actually nod off, don’t fret. Just allow yourself some rest for an hour every day. No excuses – it’s important. And it works.

Appreciate your local area

All of us have a tendency to overlook what’s right under our nose. Use this holiday to revisit the walks and parks around you that you know so well. Enjoy them at a much slower pace now you’re not in your usual rush. Stop and admire what’s around you every few minutes. You’ll be amazed how much you haven’t noticed before, be it a building, a magnificent tree or a fragrant rose climbing over a hedge. Reconnect and revalue – it will put a new spring in your step for the months ahead.

Treat yourself

This is the week to indulge a little and not feel guilty. You’ll have saved a small fortune not going away after all. For once, indulge in some new beauty treats, an at-home pedicure, or a delicious meal with a glass of wine in the sun without feeling guilty. You deserve every bit of it.

Learn something new

Being at home means you have all your belongings to hand. Dust off the paintbox, tune up that guitar or dig out your old dancing shoes. All of us are likely to have put a favourite pastime on hold while busy lives take priority. Rekindling a passion for a creative activity is one of the most uplifting and re-energising things we can do. Find just 10 or so minutes every day to have a go at what you used to love and hopefully you’ll be inspired to incorporate it into your daily life again.