Self-Isolating? Give Yourself a Break and Have a Holiday at Home

It’s pretty hard to think of something to write about when your blog content is pretty much all travel, and none of us can travel at the moment! I’m going to keep creating travel content ready for when things are back to normal, but in the mean time I thought it might be nice if we all had a holiday at home whilst we’re self-isolating. Have I gone mad? Probably. Is it possible to enjoy self-isolation and change your mindset so that you can have a holiday without leaving the house? I reckon so!

I’m not about to tell you to create a beach in your living room or give you a list of ‘things to do at home’. Instead I’m letting you know that it’s fine to give yourself a break and enjoy yourself, without worrying about what’s going on around you. It’s all about mindset!

Step 1 – Create a Holiday Environment

Imagine turning up to your holiday accommodation and the bed hasn’t been made, there’s random bits of clutter everywhere and an endless list of chores to be done? No thanks. Before you embark on your self-isolation holiday at home, give your flat/house/room a tidy, dig out some candles and make it a place that you want to spend time in.

If you can’t be bothered to get on top of all that washing, clean behind the sofa or whatever it is that you’ve been putting off, that’s fine! Just get the spaces that you want to enjoy nice and clean (even just move the mess to another room and shut the door!), so that you can simply relax and have a little holiday. Put on fresh bedsheets, do a towel wash and give the floor a quick hoover.

Step 2 – Tick the Niggly Bits off Your To-Do List

If you were taking annual leave from work, you’d most likely spend the couple of days before your holiday ticking bits off your to-do list and getting ready for a handover. If you’re anything like me, your ‘at home’ to do list could take weeks to complete, but if there are any urgent things that need sorting or anything that keeps moving down your list but could easily be ticked if you stopped putting it off, get it done!

I’m definitely not saying that you can’t take have a holiday unless you’ve done everything you need to – you’re worthy of a holiday any time you wish – but if there’s anything that would be bothering you when trying to relax then try to get it sorted before your self-isolation holiday at home.

Step 3 – Pamper Time!

If you like to spend the day before your holiday having a long bath, shaving your legs, putting a hair mask on, doing your nails, exfoliating, fake tanning, or whatever else you do to feel confident and goddess-like (or god-like), do it! Get yourself in the holiday mindset, and spend some time relaxing and feeling good about yourself. It’s perfect because when you’re self-isolating and can’t go outside, you’re guaranteed that you’re doing all this for yourself and not to look good for other people. Self-love at it’s best!

Step 4 – Have an Early Night

You want to wake up excited and fresh for your holiday, don’t you? Drink lots of water and have an early night in your fresh bedsheets. No need to set an alarm because you’re on holiday, but your bedtime routine might include putting some champagne in the fridge, prepping your favourite breakfast (if you’ve managed to get what you need from the shops!) and doing some mindfulness exercises to get your yourself totally relaxed and ready for your holiday.

Step 5 – Wake up on Holiday

Hopefully you’ll wake up well rested and in holiday mode! What you do today will depend on how you’d like to spend your holiday – do you prefer relaxing with a book, exploring cities or getting out into nature? It doesn’t matter what you do – you don’t have to do anything at all – it’s just about taking a break and letting yourself have a nice time whilst you’re self-isolating.

If you love to read then read all day! If you love to explore new cities, why not open up Google Maps and do just that from the comfort of your sofa. You can even take virtual tours of museums around the world such as the Louvre in Paris, the Vatican museums in Rome and the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, which apparently takes five hours to watch! If you like sitting around in your pants watching Netflix (who doesn’t?) then you do that.

If you like photography, why not find some interesting things in your home to photograph… you never know, you might create the next great piece of art from the contents of your fridge. If you like nature, then go for a walk in the countryside (just make sure you avoid interaction with others whilst you’re out). Other ideas (some stolen from my little sister) are having an origami competition, sewing a new dress, completing a jigsaw, learning to DJ and taking up yoga.

The idea is that you give yourself time to relax and enjoy whatever it is that makes you happy, taking a break from your everyday worries and constant list of tasks that need doing. Give yourself permission to have a lovely day despite everything that’s going on around you and without feeling guilty about the things that you ‘should‘ be doing. It is absolutely fine to forget about what’s going on in the world around you for a day!

Here’s how my self-isolating holiday at home is probably going to go down, to give you some inspiration:

• Wake up, make a cup of tea and spend the first bit of my day reading and drinking tea in bed – I might even have a biscuit seeing as I’m on holiday!
• Treat myself to a long, hot bath using my special occasion bath products, and light a few candles. Maybe listen to a podcast whilst I’m there!
• Have a holiday breakfast. Hopefully I’ll have the ingredients to make waffles with bacon and syrup and some strawberries on the side – along with a glass or two of fizz because I’m on holiday!
• Go for walk along the canal for some fresh air, making sure to avoid contact with others.
• Come home, put on my favourite PJs and get comfortable on the sofa for an afternoon of Netflix/reading/journalling and snacking (I’m thinking wine and crisps!).
• Have a lovely tea! If I’ve managed to get ingredients to cook something really tasty then I’ll do that, otherwise I’ll treat myself to a takeaway.

If you decide to have your own holiday at home whilst you’re self-isolating, I’d love to hear what you get up to! Leave me a comment or get in touch on social media to let me know.

For more lockdown content have a read of the below:

• Self-Isolating? Give Yourself a Break and Have a Holiday at Home
• How to Look After Your Mental Health During Coronavirus
• 10 Things to do at Home During Lockdown
• Staying Positive During Coronavirus – Positivity Journaling
• Getting Itchy Feet? Virtual Travel Experiences to Keep You Entertained During Lockdown
• Practicing Gratitude During Coronavirus Lockdown: What I’m Grateful For
• 7 Ways to Cheer Someone up During Lockdown

Nell xx