1. Prioritize Your Week – Since I’m not a kid anymore and I can’t avoid the never-ending responsibilities on my plate, it’s important for me to prioritize what has to get done each day so there’s enough room for what I want to get done (especially if that want is NOTHING). I start with asking, “How do I want to feel at the end of the week? Do I want my to-do list to be as small as possible? Do I want to have made some new memories or learned a new skill?” Your answer to these questions will be your North Star for the week to ensure you feel good before heading back to work. I use apps like 1-3-5 or Wunderlist to help me write out everything on my list and group them into prioritized buckets to check off throughout the week.

2. Sleep – Remember that first day after the last day of school and you’d sleep in as long as you wanted? I remember it like it was yesterday and yet it feels sooo far away. Sleep has become harder and harder for me to get as an adult and now as a mom, but the lack thereof has also wreaked so much havoc on my mind and life that I’m starting to prioritize it more than ever before. SO, be intentional about sleep on your staycation. Plan it like you would a new workout routine. Write out what time you’ll go to bed and why, then keep reminders out for yourself (a note on the fridge, a notification on your phone) so you can plan your day around getting to sleep at the time you said you would. You will never regret getting enough sleep.

3. Tidy Up Your Space – I recently read that 87 percent of women experience anxiety over home upkeep. Uh, that’s pretty much all of us. I always feel happier about my life when my house is clean, yet it is a ridiculous struggle for me to keep it organized and clutter-free. Like the chores your mom made you do as a kid, this task is best done in the first two days of your staycation. It’s not the funnest, it takes time, but it can set the stage for the rest of the week. So GET IT DONE AND OUT OF THE WAY. You’ll feel more relaxed and more in control when your environment is relaxed, clean and tidy.

4. Run all the Errands by Day 3 – One thing that weighs down on me week after week are the errands I never seem to have time for. I love using my staycation to check these off the list, like returning purchases (either to the store or the post office), delivering something to someone, stopping by that smoothie place or home store I’ve wanted to check out for months, or even picking up something for a future photoshoot. I try to reserve one day for errands early in the week so I can spend the rest of my staycation doing more creative or meaningful activities.

5. Create Something – We all have an innate desire to create. And yet, most of us lack the time to truly dedicate our thoughts to creative thinking or just BEing. We have to create time, intentionally, for creative thinking. It doesn’t just find us. So think of one activity you could do during your staycation that would help you feel more creative (i.e., learn a new recipe, write a thoughtful blog post, make up a game to play with your kids, decorate, play with a new app – I’m loving Adobe Express right now – or rearrange a room you’ve been wanting to get more use from). Whatever you create, it will make you feel more confident, which will carry into your next week back at work.

6. Tackle Those Pesky To-Do’s – Again, as adults, we can’t avoid the little to-do’s that constantly pile up. I’m never NOT on email, so I like to take a break during my staycation and check emails every few days instead of every few hours. Aside from my grocery list or other tasks, I like to make plans for future events/trips/appointments, research a future home project, schedule photoshoots, or whatever other life tasks that need to keep moving to avoid future stress. Short-term pain, long-term gain.

7. Be Selfish – This is your time off. Take time to do whatever YOU want. Maybe one day you just want to stay home and not think about anything you have to do. The next day you may want a busy (but memorable) day at the waterpark with friends, followed by a full-day of shopping (btw, my top is low in stock, but I found two similar styles for under $40! here + here), and the next day a bubble bath. It is so liberating when you’re not constantly driven by deadlines. You’ll feel more like your childhood self — no job, no plans, completely free and living in the moment.

SHOP MY LOOK

asos smock top | jbrand jeans | marc fisher wedges in taupe | gigi new york crossbody c/o | karen walker sunnies | maybelline lipstick in “red revival” | alex + ani bracelets

Photos by The High Pines.