How to Design a Healthier Staycation

Back in April 2019, my husband and I celebrated 10 years of marriage. During that week, I took time off from my 9 to 5 job. This has become a ritual for me just to celebrate my husband and me, whether we are able to travel or not. I think the only year that I did not take off was because of the job and how crazy things were at the time.

That particular year, my husband was working in a contract position and unable to take any vacation time without a hit to his paycheck. So I used the week off to relax, clean up our house, get my mama to her doctor's appointment, and work a little on growing my fitness business. I also had to do a TON of things for my husband that he otherwise would have zero time to do.

I also used that week to focus in on my health. I had issues crop up with my diastolic blood pressure before my week off, and I noticed that my pressure being so high was mostly due to stress and not getting my workouts in during the week. (I don't know if you can identify this in your own body, but I know there's a difference in my body when I workout versus when I don't.)

Staycation time for you and your family does not have to be filled with tons of rich foods and only sitting in front of the television. It can be full of activity and full of high quality meals. But you must make specific plans for it.

Step 1)  Be intentional with all that you plan to do during your staycation. Look at what you will do to relax, what you will do to care for your body, what you will do to feed and grow your mind, what you will put into your body...everything. Write it all down if need be.

Step 2)  Put YOU first. This is your time to protect your space and do what is right for you. I realize that you have a family that you must help, but it is vital to give yourself the first hour of each day - mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. (And please don't beat yourself up if an hour is too long right now - even 10 or 15 minutes of quiet alone time will energize you.)

Step 3)  Laughter is great medicine! Don't discount the power of watching a funny movie or laughing at your spouse's or child's jokes. It has been said that laughter can lower blood pressure and stress levels, plus it increases endorphins, the body's natural painkiller.

Step 4)  Get out in the sun. The Great Outdoors can benefit you and you're internal processes in so many ways. Yes, you do have to be smart and use your sunscreen to protect your body from skin cancer, but the sunshine is a natural Vitamin D source. Let it infuse you and your family with new life. A good walk around the neighborhood or just around the block will work wonders. You can even become "local tourists" and find a special outdoor place to hike or spend time together. (When was the last time your family had an outdoor picnic, by the way?)

Step 5)  Decide to go green. Visit the produce section of your local store and pick up fresh fruits and veggies. Design all of your meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) to incorporate these fruits and veggies. You have time to hop online and Google incredible fresh recipes. Plus, if you make the decision to NOT bring the unhealthy stuff into your house and add it to your meals, then you don't have to worry about mindlessly eating it. And I do have a few recipes on the blog where I show you how to hide the healthy ingredients.

Step 6)  Most importantly, don't forget to give yourself grace. If you need to relax with your feet up instead of getting ALL the laundry washed, then THAT is what you should do. If you decided to eat the burger, fries, and milkshake that your kids proudly brought home, then please do not beat yourself up over it. You can do a longer workout tomorrow.

If you need ideas to prepare healthier meals for your staycation, I invite you to consider the FIXATE cookbook. This resource has great ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack times, and it’s something you will be visiting again and again..

You can learn more and sign up by visiting http://itsclarissa.me/fixate.