Why I’m Not Taking A Mental Health Staycation

Even though we all probably should.

My husband and I travel to as many places as possible, as often as possible. We strive to maximize what we can do with the amount of paid time off (PTO) that we earn each year, meaning that we typically visit multiple cities and countries within one “trip”, seeing and doing as much as we can in each of them.

I won’t even call it a vacation, because the pace at which we travel is exhausting and we often feel like we need another day or two of actual vacation upon our return. While it’s tiresome to travel in this manner, we also recognize that we are privileged to even have the option to do so.

But none of that matters, because we can’t go anywhere right now.

And we don’t know when we will be able to go anywhere, so there aren’t even any trips on the horizon for us to look forward to or plan.

I had a few trips in mind and loosely planned before Covid-19, but none of them were planned for exactly right now. In fact, they were so loose at the time, they hadn’t even made their way to my calendar at work yet.

The first was set to be a celebratory graduation cruise for my youngest brother. This trip will definitely need to be rescheduled, albeit probably not as a cruise. Whatever does come of it, I can assure you we will do it up right to hopefully make up for all of the missed milestones of my brother’s senior year of high school.

The other trip was to London to watch the Cubs play the Cardinals. This series has simply been canceled and the cost of the tickets has been refunded to us. And we’ve already been to London, so we have no plans to reschedule or reason to do so.

Still, I need a vacation.

The current state of affairs is taking its toll on me; I’m not feeling in tip-top mental condition. Many of us, I’m sure, are feeling this way. I think I need some time away from work to recover from the whiplash of change and the busyness of it all.

Perhaps the days I had penciled in for the London trip could be used instead for a staycation? To rest and recharge?

But staying at home, where I’ve not much to take my mind off of the state of the world, doesn’t seem like a great alternative. In fact, being at home for long stretches, such as on weekends, is when I am reminded most that there’s nothing to do and nowhere to go. What would a staycation have to offer?

Benefits of a staycation

• I don’t have to plan anything and I won’t have any obligation to an itinerary. As I mentioned before, our trips require a lot of pre-planning and mean sticking to a bit of a strict itinerary to ensure that we see and do all that we set out to with our time. If I’m just staying home, however, there’s nothing to plan and no schedule to follow. There’s some definite freedom in that.
• It’s still a break from work. And a potential opportunity to recharge me and recuperate from pandemic productivity. Many people typically suggest using a staycation to explore locally, acting as if you were a tourist. There may not be much I can do in the way of exploration given the novel coronavirus, but this would still give my mind a much-needed break from work.
• I won’t run the risk of losing my PTO I’m nowhere near the point of needing to use my time off before I lose it. But the uncertainty of the future does mean that there’s no guarantee that I actually have a reason to save my days. I could wind up saving them, only to find myself forced to take a staycation anyhow to prevent losing my time.

Reasons to wait for a trip

• It gives you something to look forward to. Planning a trip can be seen as stressful, but it’s also an exercise that drums up excitement for and anticipation of what’s to come. And those jam-packed days of taking in all the tourist spots and those that are off the beaten path are always worth it in my book.
• It also gives you memories that last a lifetime. I travel lightly, always with just a carry-on, meaning my memories are my souvenirs. And pictures! When memory fades, a picture fills in the missing pieces.
• It’s a great escape. For me, the draw of travel is precisely to escape “my” world and visit a new one. To see something new. Taste something new. Learn something new. Meet someone new. And be changed by it all.
• It will allow me to advance in one of my current life goals. My husband and I set a goal of visiting 40 of our bucket list countries before he’s 40. So, before I’m 38. We’re currently sitting exactly halfway there, at 20 countries. This is precisely why I feel compelled to use any and all PTO days for travel.

Will I stay-cay?

Despite my need for a break, I still can’t wrap my mind around taking a staycation right now. The mere thought of doing so just doesn’t sound restful. Alternatively, it sounds like I would have no outlet through which to avoid the reminders of Covid-19.

So instead, I will keep looking forward with hope and excitement for my next travel adventure. I may have to shift gears if I come upon the point of using or losing my paid time off but until then…

I’m keeping my focus on my next flight.