The Art of the Stay-Cation

There's ways to do it and ways NOT to.  For instance:

Don't answer your e-mail or work calls.  Establish an agreement with work that you will NOT be contacted during your stay-cation...trust me, if you get even ONE work call that makes your heart pound from stress, it pretty much ruins your whole stay-cation.  From then on you've been reached, meaning you're available, and the boundary is as good as gone.  So is your journey toward restoration-no matter how many days "off" you have left.  Give your Blackberry to a friend to hold hostage for you. 

Don't stick with your daily routine.  Break out of it.  A big home project helps with this, like renovation or just re-organizing closets, but even better is to pretend you're a stranger in your own town.  What tourist traps have you yet to catch?  Denver's perfect for that.  Have you been up Evans yet, or Pike's Peak?  How about the Brown Palace for tea?  If you're going on the cheap, take a trip to the Denver Library-think that would be dull?  Not if you're into rare books and western history.  The Denver Public Library is a national Mecca for those who love the history of the West.  The maps alone will boggle your mind.

 Don't discount day trips.  You may not be off across the country, but that does not mean you can't see new, amazing things.  Grand Junction is just over the hill, with the Palisades Vineyards and even Colorado National Monument.  You can see different country and still get home for dinner.  Speaking of which:

Remember not to stick with routine.  Have a picnic in the park for dinner, tent in the backyard, and experiment with new restaurants or new cuisines you don’t usually have the time to try your hand at.

Stay-cations are also great for things like local retreats.  If you can’t afford that expensive yoga retreat, you can still go to more classes than you usually do; you could also see if you can get a trial membership at a club or rec center and try out the pool a for couple days.

A vacation is a way to refresh and recharge with new experiences, and a stay-cation can do the same thing.  It just takes planning, boundaries and a little determination.

 More ideas!