Need a break? Reduce stress, rest and recharge on a weekend staycation! Providers devote their lives to delivering care for others but often forget to make time for themselves. Here are tips for planning your next staycation.

<h2>Practice Self-Care by Taking a Staycation</h2>

<p>
  Self-care is critical for providers, now more than ever. And although
  healthcare professionals devote their lives to providing individualized,
  quality care for others, they often neglect themselves. To stave off issues
  like burnout, stress, depression, fatigue or even chronic disease, providers
  must make time to care for themselves.
</p>

<p>
  Various facets of self-care are essential &ndash; eating right, sleeping well,
  exercising and practicing mindfulness, meditation or prayer, to name a few.
  However, if you&rsquo;re looking for fresh ideas for self-care &ndash; easy
  and inexpensive ways to care for your mental, emotional, spiritual and
  physical health &ndash; look no further than the staycation! Whether
  you&rsquo;re away on assignment or nestled at home, one of the best ways to
  relax and refresh is to pamper yourself. And there&rsquo;s no question; you
  deserve it.
</p>

<p>
  Here are the benefits of staycations, some staycation dos and don&rsquo;ts,
  and staycation ideas to get you started.
</p>

<h2>The Benefits of Taking a Staycation</h2>

<p>
  Why plan a staycation? There are so many reasons! With a staycation, you can:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>Save money</li>
  <li>Rest and recuperate</li>
  <li>Lower your stress level</li>
  <li>Leave your work behind</li>
  <li>Prioritize your mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being</li>
  <li>Learn something new</li>
  <li>Avoid crowds and traveling</li>
  <li>Spend time alone or bond with family and pets</li>
</ul>

<h2>Dos and Don&rsquo;ts of Staycations</h2>

<table class="table table-bordered">
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <th>Do&hellip;</th>
      <th>Don&rsquo;t&hellip;</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>
        Prepare your home in advance: clean, get groceries, buy flowers, set up
        candles, play your favorite music, prep snacks
      </td>
      <td>Complete any housework or chores during the staycation</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>
        Clear your calendar, tell your family that you&rsquo;re planning a
        staycation and block out the time for yourself
      </td>
      <td>
        Check your work email, think about work or set your alarm clock to get
        up at work time
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>
        Focus on what you love doing rather than what you think you need to do
      </td>
      <td>Burn up all your time on social media or shopping online</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Make yourself the top priority</td>
      <td>
        Allow yourself to feel one bit of guilt for taking the staycation you
        deserve!
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

<h2>Top Staycation Ideas for Healthcare Providers</h2>

<ol>
  <li>
    <strong>Unplug and defrag &ndash;</strong> If it sounds appealing to you,
    enjoy a device-free weekend. Turn off the cell phones, computers and iPads
    and take the time to unwind off-line. Don&rsquo;t watch or read the news.
    Notice how reducing your screentime reduces your stress level.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Tour your town &ndash; </strong> See the local sights in your city.
    Check out what your town has to offer or even take a day trip to a nearby
    location. Local libraries usually have free passes to art and science
    museums and even local events.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Get outdoors &ndash; </strong> Hike, bike, kayak, run, walk, skip,
    ski, swim, swing. Get some sunshine on your face, enjoy your local park,
    take a walk in the woods, sit by the ocean or swim in the sea. Take
    advantage of the nature opportunities your area has to offer.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Learn something new &ndash;</strong> Take an in-person class in
    cooking, drawing, painting, dancing, sign language, yoga or pottery. If
    you&rsquo;d rather stay in, sign up for an online workshop through a venue
    like Skillshare, MasterClass, Craftsy or Udemy.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Enjoy a spa day &ndash; </strong> Either treat yourself to a day at
    the spa or save money and have a spa day at home. Soak in the bath, give
    yourself a mani-pedi and facial, deep condition your hair. Or call a massage
    therapist in for a home visit.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Dine outside &ndash;</strong> Take a picnic to your local park, set
    up a table on your back porch or throw down a blanket in your yard. Food
    seems to taste better outside, and it&rsquo;s more fun to eat there, too!
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Have a relaxed get-together &ndash;</strong> Have a stress-free
    gathering with a few friends. Invite your faves over for a barbecue or game
    night.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Treat yourself &ndash; </strong>Make brunch. Or make smores. Or make
    pancakes. Or make a gourmet meal. Or have breakfast in bed. Or eat homemade
    cookies on the couch. Or order in. Or make an ice cream sundae.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Read away the day &ndash; </strong>Head to the library and load up
    on your favorite books. Bury yourself in a bunch of big coffee table books
    with beautiful photographs, breeze through an easy beach-read or dig deep
    into the classics.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Play &ndash; </strong>Get out all the blankets and cushions and
    build a fort in your living room like you&rsquo;re a kid. Or camp out in
    your backyard. If you&rsquo;ve got kids, include them or send them off to
    their grandparents&rsquo; or a friend&rsquo;s house and play all by
    yourself.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Make it a movie night &ndash;</strong> Watch back-to-back movies on
    your favorite streaming service. Get the popcorn and movie snacks ready and
    catch up on recent movies or watch a series.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Have a slumber party &ndash; </strong> Nap and catch up on
    much-needed rest. Or just wear your PJs all day and enjoy time relaxing.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Get lost in games &ndash;</strong> If you&rsquo;re flying solo for
    your staycation, play solitaire, work on a jigsaw puzzle, play word games or
    solve crossword puzzles. If you&rsquo;ve got company, dig out old favorites
    like charades, Pictionary, Jenga, checkers or Monopoly. Or take a trip to
    the store and see what board games are new.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Work on a hobby &ndash; </strong> Devote your staycation time to
    honing your hobby. Are you into woodwork, beading, needlepoint, calligraphy
    or clay? How about gardening, writing, photography, singing, playing an
    instrument, investing or genealogy? Immerse yourself.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Create ambiance &ndash; </strong> Pretend you&rsquo;re on vacation
    by lighting a fire in your fireplace or chiminea and snuggling up with your
    loved one, or enjoy the time by the fire yourself with a mug of hot
    chocolate.
  </li>
</ol>

<p>
  Why not plan a staycation soon? You might be surprised at how rewarding a
  staycation can be. You&rsquo;ll return to work renewed and refreshed (and
  maybe even thinking about planning your next staycation)!
</p>

<p>
  See where your skills are needed most. Check out our
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    >per diem and contract opportunities</a
  >.
</p>


Dear Healthcare Provider, You Deserve a Staycation!