Saving the environment, saving money - there are many reasons why the staycation is increasingly a viable option for families wondering what how they are going to fill their summer months.
Too often people complain about needing a holiday to get over their holiday - with traveling being the number one reason why people become quickly ‘re-stressed’. The closer to home you are, the less you need to travel, the more you can relax and benefit from that relaxation for long er periods before real life sets back in again.
Relax and rejuvenate in your own environment
While the excitement of the unknown can often form part of the holiday, for many people that unknown can be stressful and frightening. Familiarity automatically invokes a stress free response.
Many people secure that long term familiarity by investing in their very own holiday home - whether that is a cottage in Cornwall, or a park home located in an Allens Caravans holiday site, creating a home from home eliminates the unpredictable fear of the unknown, and replaces it with the calming and soothing familiar surroundings.
Your furniture is your own, and you know every bump and dip in the upholstery. You can crawl into your own bed safe in the knowledge that no one else has laid their head on your pillow. You can look out of a window to enjoy a view that calms and soothes in the same way that it has for some time. Studies show that a familiar environment can trigger deep feelings of calm in the same way that other triggers can set off emotions around stress and anxiety. So retuning to a familiar place means that you will relax and destress quicker that going to an unfamiliar place.
More time to explore areas more deeply
When visiting new places, it is easy to get drawn into the usual tourist hotspots, carrying out visits that often leave you dissatisfied and wanting more. But the holiday moves on and you don’t have the time to soak up the true atmosphere.
During a staycation, you have the opportunity to explore and discover the local area in much more depth, earmarking places for your next visit, spending longer on one place purely because you have that time to linger.
Take the time to visit local museums, art galleries, parks, or hiking trails that you haven't explored before. Treat yourself to a day of indulgence at a nearby spa or enjoy a leisurely stroll through your neighborhood, discovering new shops, cafes, or restaurants. By immersing yourself in the local scene, you can develop a deeper appreciation for your surroundings and unearth the hidden treasures within your community.
Fun for all the family
As well as having more time to spend with your family, it also allows your children the time to build bonds with other local children - friendships which will last their whole childhood should you continue to re-visit the same area year after year.
Save Time, Energy, and Money
Going abroad involves packing and driving to the airport, checking in, waiting for your flight, sitting on the plane, and arriving at your destination after an often lengthy bus journey at the other end.
As well as being detrimental to the environment, even a short two hour flight can involve a compete day of traveling - a day which is often stressful and expensive and is taken out of your holiday entitlement.
A staycation means minimal packing, minimal traveling and maximum relaxation. The money that you might have wasted on airport car parking, duty free, taxis, air fares and fry ups at the Stansted Wetherspoons instead can be spent on a luxury spa day, a meal at a local Michelin starred restaurant or other such treats.
Instead of sitting cheek by jowl on a packed airplane while the kid behind you spends the entire journey kicking the back of your seat, you could be sat on your deck, overlooking a familiar and much loved view with a large G&T and a good book.
Instead of sweating on a plastic sunbed fiercely guarding your space against interlopers who will swoop and steal it the minute you head of to the loo - lie back and enjoy your own sunbed in your own space with no external disturbance.
In short, a staycation presents a plethora of benefits that can transform your time off into a blissful and rejuvenating experience. From unwinding in your comfort zone to discovering hidden gems in your locale, maximizing quality time with loved ones.
