The Art Of Canceling Plans: 6 Ways To Get Vacation Energy Without Leaving Your House
ilona titova | Canva A couple of years ago, my husband and I decided to take a vacation trip from our home in California to Washington DC. Although we had been there before, we wanted to see the sights again, especially the various museums like the Smithsonian and the Lincoln Memorial. The trip turned into a disaster from the start because when we arrived at our local airport in time for an 8:30 AM flight, we found that it had been delayed, and delayed, and delayed.
As a result, we missed all our other connections and finally arrived in Washington at 2 AM the next day! We were so jetlagged we couldn’t leave our hotel room for 24 hours. Do you wish that you could get away for a short vacation, but don’t have the time or money? Wouldn't it be nice to take a trip without all the fuss of traffic, airport searches, jet lag, or bad weather?
Here are six ways that you can feel relaxed and coddled without leaving home or spending a lot of money. You may not be able to find an entire day to be by yourself, but you can feel renewed anyway after only a few hours of self-indulgence. Remember to turn off the phone before you get started.
Here are 6 ways to get vacation energy without leaving your house:
1. Pamper yourself
Create a spa experience for yourself. Relax in a yummy bubble bath. Lounge around in comfortable clothes and sip your favorite drinks, exotic tea, wine, fresh juice, imported coffee, and nibble on your preferred delicacies. You may even want to recline on some fancy pillows, put on some soothing music, and meditate.
A study found that people who took daily baths reported feeling way less stressed, anxious, and depressed compared to those who just took showers. Something about sinking into warm water triggers all these relaxation responses in your body that honestly work just as well as popping over to an actual spa.
2. Turn your family room into a movie theater
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Leave your cares behind for a while and drift into fantasyland. Indulge in watching movies that are special to you, the kind that others in your family think are silly or corny. I love to watch old Technicolor musicals like Gigi, Meet Me In St. Louis, or Lily.
Sometimes I enjoy a good cry when the lovers part, as in Now Voyager, a very old black-and-white picture. Now is the time to stream a show with your favorite stars or indulge in your favorite genre: mystery, sci-fi, or romance, when others aren’t near to interrupt you.
Another opportunity that you can take advantage of these days is binge-watching episodes of TV series that you either missed or want to watch again. Thanks to the myriad of streaming services at our disposal, you can feast on whole seasons of dramas, soap operas, or even reality shows that appeal to you. Don't forget the popcorn.
3. Throw yourself a living-room concert
Instead of watching entertainment, you may get more pleasure from listening. Thanks to iTunes, iPods, and other technology, you can listen to almost anything that has ever been recorded by any musician, living or dead. As you listen to your favorite band, you might find yourself dancing around your house and singing along.
Turn on all the music of your favorite performer or musician. Listen to Broadway shows or the songs from film favorites. I have a CD of seven different artists performing the same classical piece and another of eight different versions of Pachelbel’s Canon in D that can put me into a wonderful trance.
Researchers looked at dozens of studies on music and found that when people actively listen to their favorite songs, it affects everything from their emotions to their energy levels in really positive ways. Dancing around your living room to your favorite band gives you that same natural high you'd get at a live concert, minus the overpriced drinks
4. Time travel
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Your vacation at home can include re-visiting other places that you traveled to earlier in your life. Now is the time to watch home movies of those excursions near or far to distant cities or countries or perhaps to a family or school reunion that have been sitting in the back of a closet or a shelf in your garage. Do you have movies from your childhood or precious memories of your own children growing up?
If you don't have films, I bet that you have lots of photos either in albums, boxes, or on your computer. Take a loving trip down memory lane to call up recollections from your childhood, camp adventures, school trips, and pictures of your children when they were younger, or family members from long ago. Sometimes this feels bittersweet when you recall those happy times and think of loved ones who may no longer be alive.
5. Read a good book
Have you ever gotten hold of a book that you simply couldn't put down? Every once in a while, I find that it is 1 AM and I have to force myself to go to sleep because I want to read just one more page to find out who done it or whether the lovers will live happily ever after.
If you're a book lover, this is the best opportunity to have a reading spree without anyone bothering you. You may have a Kindle or other digital reader, so even if you have no paper books handy, you can still download one in seconds.
I recently discovered that my local library offers eBooks that are free and can be downloaded when ordered from my computer. Having so many free or low-cost choices is like going to a smorgasbord and allowing myself to read my fill instead of eating it.
6. Have a feast
One of the best things about vacations, cruises, or exotic trips is often the wonderful and varied foods that you allow yourself to indulge in. Although your home retreat keeps you from roaming, it doesn’t mean that you can't have a delightful gustatory experience!
Now is the time to treat yourself to your favorite foods. Are you in the mood for Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, or Indian food? Maybe a great deli treat or flaky croissant is tempting your taste buds. Call the nearest restaurant that delivers and treat yourself royally.
I hope that you keep these ideas in mind when you decide to try a staycation. Be aware that you don't have to vacation at home by yourself. You can create a romantic vacation for two without leaving home as well.
Gloria Arenson is a psychotherapist, specializing in energy and power therapies. She is the author of popular books on eating disorders and compulsive behavior, conducts classes and workshops nationwide, and trains professionals in Meridian Therapy.
