AKA – My response to Question #331 (Mind Hike Business Edition): How many days off (real days off) did you take last year?*
It is 1:30pm on the day after Thanksgiving. And I am sitting here on my computer, watching the rest of my family play video games. Yes, I’m still in my pajamas and no I have not done anything productive yet today. But I can’t say that I’ve actually had a relaxing day yet.
I am realizing that I am actually a complete failure at staycation-ing.
For those of you who are not familiar with this term, a “staycation” is a “vacation spent at home or nearby” (at least according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary).
Before COVID-19 came to stay this year, I had not yet taken a true staycation. I have friends who gush about staycations where they have a chance to spend time with their families and get things done and just relax. But I had not actually enjoyed a staycation myself. (“Enjoyed” being the important word here.)
I realize today that in the past, I’ve only been willing to take time off of work if I have had something specific planned, like a surgery, a wedding or an out of town vacation.
And so now that I have taken this day off of work, I find myself having trouble specifically enjoying my staycation. I’m heading off soon for a bike ride, and I’ve been reading and spending time with my family. But I’m trying to shake the feeling that I’m wasting my day off.
I keep seeing memes that say something like: 2020 may not be the year you wanted, but it may be the year you needed.** And maybe this staycation-practice is part of what I needed. If I’m not able to take total pleasure in a DAY OFF, I do have some work to do (and it’s not on my computer). Signing off.
*So, I’ve taken 2 (!!) days off this year, but it feels like 0. How many days off have you taken?
**And please know that I’m referring to the enforced lockdowns, and not to the death and other devastation that COVID has brought.