With high gas prices and a slowing economy, more people are opting out of expensive vacations and signing up for something closer to home – a staycation.
Hectic schedules sometimes make it difficult to explore the area you live in and high airline prices make it just as difficult to leave. Opting for a staycation gives you the opportunity to explore what your community has to offer, without having to book costly hotel rooms.
Time spent away from work, whether in the sunny tropics or on your back porch, can help you unwind and return to work refreshed. Vacations are an essential piece to the work/life puzzle that ward off burnout and allow employees to be more productive at work.
Vacationing at home comes with a risk - work. With technology readily available at home and no roaming fees, the temptation to get a little work done may be too much to handle while on a staycation. With any vacation the risk is high, a Career Builder survey released this year showed one in four workers will be staying in touch with work while on vacation this year.
Another risk of staycationing is the allure of the couch. It can be easy to fall into sloth mode, wasting your vacation in front of the television. But, there are some ways to pull yourself away from the appeal of a cushy couch and make the most of your time off.
Here are some tips on how to successfully staycation:
Treat it like a real vacation - make plans. Make a list of all the places in your area that you haven't explored yet and start checking them off.
Pretend to be a tourist. Don't be afraid to check out the "touristy" areas, maybe even buy a funny hat. It's easy to overlook all the little parks, museums and tours that can be found within close radius to home.
Put down the Blackberry and hide your laptop. Easy access to work can be tempting. Pretend like you're on a remote island in the Pacific with no Internet access or phone lines. Let your coworkers know that you will be unavailable for calls and email during your time off.
Save some money on your next vacation and become a tourist in your own town. Take a staycation and discover everything your community has to offer, you may be surprised what you find.
1 comment:
That's a really fantastic idea that many probably overlook. It might even be more relaxing than going on a real vacation because you won't be worried about excess cost, getting lost or missing your plane.
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