Winter Staycation

Between the usual winter blues and the stress of the pandemic, many people are feeling rather stressed out lately. There are many things you can do to relieve stress and take care of your mental health. Traveling, going to the spa, spending quality time with friends and family, cooking and watching your favorite movies and television shows are among some of the common things to do when you need a little mood boost.

If you're feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders lately, why not treat yourself to a little staycation self-care day. There's no need to travel far or even leave your home, if you don't want to. With some thoughtful planning, and a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on your bedroom door, you can absolutely have a relaxing and refreshing day at home. Keep reading to see our guide to the ultimate staycation self-care day.

Light your favorite candles.

Fill your staycation space with your favorite candles. The smell and flickering light will help you relax and get into the staycation mood.

Limit screen time.

Limiting screen time can help you relax and step away from the usual stress of the day. Avoid scrolling through social media, don't check your email and try not to use your phone and laptop so you can truly focus on just relaxing.

If you don't enjoy cooking, don't make yourself. Treat yourself to a breakfast delivered from a local cafe or restaurant.

Prepare fancy water to hydrate for the day.

Make your staycation feel even more like a day at the spa or a fancy hotel by preparing a pitcher of delicious water to sip throughout the day. Water infused with fruit, or cucumber is always a delicious and refreshing option.

Enjoy at-home spa treatments.

Pamper yourself with some easy at-home spa treatments. This can include face and hair masks, a long bath, foot soak and/or a manicure and pedicure. Manuka Honey does wonders for your skin. Another sweet self-care recipe includes making a lip scrub by mixing Manuka Honey and sugar.

Rent a movie.

One positive thing that has come out of the pandemic is that you can now rent new, in-theater movies to watch at home. Rent a movie you've been itching to see and enjoy it from the comfort of your bed or couch. Enjoy your favorite snacks, or a delicious and filling lunch while you watch. Raw Brownie Bites are an easy-to-make, no bake treat that will satisfy your sweet tooth.

Enjoy a good read.

A lot of us have that stack of books that we keep meaning to make a dent in, but never find the time to. Pick up that book you haven't finished, or, dive into a new book you haven't started yet, and spend some uninterrupted time enjoying a good read.

Indulge in a hearty dinner.

Again, if cooking is enjoyable for you, make yourself a nice dinner to enjoy on a winter day. Ginger Turmeric Butternut Squash Soup is a good option. But, if cooking is going to encroach on your relaxation, then treat yourself to a delicious takeout dinner.

The key to a self-care day is to truly commit. You don't need to do or buy anything fancy to have a wonderfully relaxing day, but, you do need to commit to the time! Pencil this day into your calendar to ensure that you don't have an appointment or anything that will interrupt your time to yourself, and make sure your family knows you are unavailable during this day.

Self-care is really important. It's something we should all make time for regularly. You are your best self when you are relaxed and refreshed.

We hope you can find time to plan a staycation self-care day, because you deserve it!