I’ve just spent the weekend away in a lovely wee town. The weather was glorious and it was lovely to spend time outdoors somewhere different. There were a lot of tourists about and the town was bustling. It was great to be see after a two year hiatus.
A change of scene is often needed to help us rest and recuperate. It can be the tonic we need if we’re finding life a bit stressful and anxiety loaded. We leave our troubles behind us and focus on our new home for a few days. Our head clears and gives us the freedom if we’re lucky.
How can we get away from it all by simply staying at home? It would be amazing to go away each weekend, however that is pretty unrealistic and costly. So what can we do to bring the feeling of being away to our at home weekends? What can we do that will help us to reduce the thoughts we have about work at the weekend or deal with the stress and worry of the every day? Here are 10 ideas for you.
- Finish off your week – if you finish work at 5pm on Friday, then be sure to tie up any loose ends, pack your stuff up and go. If you’re working from home, tidy up and close the door to the room you’re in. If you’re working in a family space, then pack everything away so you do not see it over the weekend. You want to be able to walk away from it and have a defined end to your working week and a clear start to your weekend.
- Create space – can you create a small space in a room or in the garden which can be your retreat? You might want to put a blanket or cushion on the floor or if you have more space you can put a chair in. Can you use a shed or garage to create your own wee chill spot? A place for you to get away from it all and do some yoga, meditate, read or to sit in silence.
- Explore somewhere new in person or watch travel shows – you don’t have to go far to see what is out there. Perhaps there’s a park in your local area you’ve never been to or a museum/wildlife centre/historical site/library etc that you can visit. Or find one of many travel shows available relating to a country you would love to explore. Sit back and enjoy learning about the culture, the people who live or visit there and what you can do there.
- Get lost in the day – don’t focus on the time of day, focus on what you are doing and enjoy it. Who cares if it’s 2pm before you eat lunch, lose yourself in the activity. Don’t feel restricted by time.
- Put technology away – I know it’s a thought. Imagine not having your phone permanently attached to your hand. Or the tablet you use daily. Put it all away and do something real instead. Have a conversation, chat about life, chat about what you want to do over the coming few months. Get out and walk, go for a drive in your car.
- Step out of your usual routine – switch things up, forget about getting up at 8am or having lunch at 1pm. Forget your usual weekend routine and do what you wish, when you wish – see point 4.
- Wear holiday clothes – we’ve all got clothes that we save for special or are for our sunshine holidays. Why not bring a little bit of sunshine to your day and wear something from your holiday selection, even if it is just around the house. If the clothes make you smile then wear them. They will help you to feel relaxed and put you in the holiday zone.
- Try new food – why not theme your weekend. If you always want to go to Italy then why not cook some new Italian recipes or order an Italian takeaway. Why not create a menu for your evening meals – it doesn’t need to be fancy or have a lot of choice, but it could make you feel like you are away. Perhaps you could batch cook before your weekend to make it easier for yourself. Set the table and put some flowers on it. Really treat yourself, pour some wine and enjoy your food.
- Play games – who doesn’t love a card or board game when you are on your holidays. Switch the TV off and get competitive with your friends and family. Play snakes and ladders or Uno or why not play hide and seek around the house.
- Treat yourself to something special – When you’re on your holidays, we often treat ourselves to something. It may be an item from the place you are visiting or a necklace or painting of the beautiful beach. Maybe book yourself a massage or a facial, or perhaps get your nails done. Buy yourself something like you would when on your holiday.
As you can see, you don’t have to leave your house or local area to experience getting away from it all. Doing a few simple things can get you out of your head so you enjoy your weekends and feel rejuvenated come Sunday night.
Give it a go and see how you get on. I’m already thinking of ideas to put into practice the next time I’ve got no weekend plans.
Have a great week, thank you for reading. Look after you.
Love Emma xx
Wellbeing with Relaxing Lavender 