Staycation Tips! #AuthorLife

It can be difficult to take time off when you work for yourself. As an author, editor and writing mentor who works from home, the computer is always there, along with all the words and stories yet to be written. So I do sometimes struggle to down tools and disconnect when it’s time to relax.

However, this long weekend, I did smash out a staycation, and I thought you might like to know how. Here’s a summary of what I did, which you could use to plan your own staycation, or there’s a video you can watch below…

1. Go Outdoors

First of all, I took myself out of the house, so I was away from the computer. I could have just walked around the block a few times, but I find it so much more relaxing to immerse myself in nature. It gives me the opportunity to really appreciate the world and living in it, and even in the city there are parks and pockets of greenery to be found. So I started off my staycation with a reset, enjoying a good two-hour bush walk – gazing up at the big trees, the way they reach so majestically up into the sky. As well as the strange trees that pique my imagination with their oozing sap and colourful bark. Every day of my staycation, I then planned something else outdoors – whether it was another bush walk, walking to a viewpoint, along a sandy bay, or getting myself to the beach when the sun was out, just for an hour, to feel the sand between my toes and the sun’s warmth on my skin. How perfect!

2. Get Active

The next thing I did every day was to get my heart pumping. This could be a jog around the block or a brisk walk uphill. But I do have a treadmill in my garage, so I can work out regardless of the weather, and each day of my weekend, sunshine or rain, I did some type of workout – combining aerobic exercise with core work or weights or finding some other fun way to stay active.

3. Treats

Treats! Of course there have to be treats! For me they never have to be big or expensive, just something small to give each day a focus, something to look forward to – whether that’s taking a long hot bath, sleeping in, a trip to my favourite bakery, eating out, watching a movie with some chocolate, or sharing a paella with friends.

4. Limit Access

Of course life doesn’t just stop because you’re relaxing, so there was still some admin to do. But I limited my ability to access work by taking my laptop out of the house and enjoying some different scenery while I caught up. Rainy days are great for admin, but a short battery life and slow internet ensured I couldn’t pop back into any weekday project. In pre-empting the temptation to work, and not trusting myself, I was able to stay offline and enjoy some happy memories instead.

5. Read

Reading stories is of course the absolute best way to disconnect and recharge. After all, escaping into a different world involves: escaping into a different world! But, since I do often struggle to find long periods of me-time for reading, I left my current book on a comfy chair and read in short ten-minute spurts. This is actually going to morph into a new healthy habit for me – the easier I can make reading, the more I’ll get to read!

So those are my top 5 tips for anyone else planning a staycation. If you care about your work as much as I do, it can be difficult to down-tools and relax. But I also owe it to my clients and readers to recharge and get fresh words on the page that will thrill and excite them. So now I’m ready to write again – let’s see what I create!

In the meantime, here’s that video I mentioned: