As I write this we’re at the start of summer. We’re slowly returning to ‘normal’ but that’s not going to happen overnight and for many of us a ‘summer holiday’ may not be possible. I was thinking about this and realised that this is something that happened for me and my family before we’d even heard the words ‘lockdown’ and ‘travel restrictions’. Being self-employed is great and has always given us lots of freedom, but the price we pay is an unstable income and cashflow, and we’ve had several years where a staycation has been our only option, so here’s a few things I’ve learnt along the way…

We all need a break and a break is just a change of routine, it doesn’t need to be very long, far away or expensive, but it is vital to our wellbeing.

We’ll need a plan! If you’re looking at (what we hope will be) a long hot summer, with trepidation and wondering what on earth you’re going to do, then the first step to actually enjoying this time of year is to have some ideas up your sleeve.

It’s OK to be bored. Science has your back on this one. Recent reseach has clearly shown that a little boredom is really important to our wellbeing. we can all heave a sigh of relief and relax, knowing that we don’t have to fill every waking moment with entertainment and activity – Phew!

So what are we going to do? Here’s a few thoughts and ideas to keep the summer fun going during your staycation.

Taking care of business. One of the best ways of having lots of fun over the summer is too make sure that the jobs, chores and business doesn’t pile up and spoil it all. So one of the things to do over summer is to ensure that they are taken care of! Make a list of all the things that ‘Need to be done over the Summer’ – front load it, so you get the less fun stuff out of the way and then you’re free to enjoy yourself.

Have a day off. Make usre you get a proper break from routine. Do nothing, achieve nothing. Get up late, go back to bed for breakfast, stay in your pyjamas, do some nature bathing, take a nap, read book, try a bit of gaming, watch TV, take a walk, have take-away for tea. Do as little as possible and just relax!

The picnic is your friend – embrace it. If you take a picnic lunch almost anywhere, you take your trip to another level and you can stay longer and really make a day of it!

Make some sarnies, grab a picnic blanket, a good book, a frisbee, a sharing bag of crisps, some fruit and a pack of sweet treats, fill your waterbottles and go.

Where? A park, river bank, beach, field, a friend’s garden, anywhere that you can settle down and relax for a few hours and enjoy. This is the perfect way to take a proper break from your everyday routine.

Here are some ideas that when added to a picnic make for a perfect staycation! Some are inside home, so we’ve got you covered even if the finances or weather are not ideal!

Visit a museum or art gallery.

Go for a walk.

Visit a park – one you don’t usually visit.

Spend the day at the beach.

Go for a coffee, milkshake or icecream.

Fill the paddeling pool and have a paddle – don’t leave it unattended if you have little ones around.

Air anything that needs it.

Do some art and crafts.

Read a book.

Eat each meal outside at least once.

Play board games.

Visit a new park or outdoor space.

Learn a new skill or trick.

Tidy & declutter your space.

Bake.

Visit friends.

Have a BBQ.

Watch a film.

Cook something new.

Tidy & update your outside space.

Fly a kite.

During lockdown I also made a list of 60+ things to do, so check that post – there’s tons more ideas in there.

I hope you find this helpful and have a restful summer!

Thanks

Sarah x

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