AARP Hearing Center
In a pre-Covid-19 world, the freedom to be at home without obligations would have seemed like a vacation. But isolating for the coronavirus has changed that perspective. The American belief in productivity may make some feel guilty for taking a vacation day at home, but experts say that it's no less important to do so now than it was before the pandemic.
"It's important because it seems like something that we shouldn't do, because with no place to go, it feels like a waste of time,” says Andrea Bonior, a clinical psychologist in Bethesda, Maryland, and author of Detox Your Thoughts. “We have this big blurring between working and home, and taking a day off is a way to reclaim that boundary."
Home should be a place for pausing, resting and healing, Bonior says, and she recommends doing something creative, social or nourishing with an “off” day at home — even watching TV without guilt. It may seem silly, because you may be working at home anyway, but it's important to reclaim some space emotionally, and time off — without commitment or obligation — is key to helping lower overall stress levels.
Over the past few years, it has become “harder to distinguish vacation days from other ones,” says Diana Zuckerman, a psychologist and epidemiologist and president of the National Center for Health Research in Washington, D.C. But, “it's important to have at least a day or two when you don't work.”
How to plan a 'home-cation'
But how does one vacation, literally, in the home? Bonior recommends starting by thinking about where, if you could travel, you would go. “That's a clue to your values right now. If you would choose to spend time with other people, maybe spend time connecting digitally with others.” You might play a game, host a watch party for a movie, or start a book group online.
If you're thinking about nature, you're probably craving fresh air and sunshine. Depending upon your circumstances, maybe find a safe place to take a long walk. Or, if you have a backyard, sit outside and read or enjoy a garden. “Don't dismiss the importance of sunshine, even through a window,” Bonior says. Pair that with watching nature documentaries or travel shows or simply looking at pictures of trees. “There's research literature on how even looking at pictures of trees makes people feel better,” Zuckerman says. “For a lot of people, nature really does make a difference. Looking at the natural world can be uplifting."
