We’ve become pretty good at filling our time and even when we take a holiday, there’s often a list of things we want to see, places we need to visit and activities we’ve booked weeks in advance.
Before you know it, our time off has become another schedule to keep up with, leaving little room to slow down and actually switch off.
Rather than feeling the need to make every day count or come home having ticked everything off the list, a ‘nothing-cation’ is about enjoying the freedom of choice and not having to make decisions.
You can choose to sleep in, spend the morning by the water, go for a walk or sit outside with a coffee with nowhere to be.
In Italy, they even have a term for it – ‘il dolce far niente’, which translates to ‘the sweetness of doing nothing’.
Nick Baker
I think there’s a growing appreciation for this kind of break because life can feel busy enough without our holidays adding to the pressure.
Getting away remains important to Australians, but when a trip takes time and money to plan, it’s worth considering what we actually want to get out of it.
Sometimes, the most rewarding holiday isn’t the one where we do the most, but the one that gives us the space to switch off, reconnect with nature and return home feeling genuinely refreshed.
Here are five signs you might need a ‘nothing-cation’.
- You need a holiday after your holiday
If you come home from a trip feeling like you need another few days to recover, it might be time to rethink how you travel.
There’s nothing wrong with sightseeing or trying new activities, but when every day is planned from breakfast to dinner, it can be hard to switch off – which is ultimately the goal of a holiday.
Instead of jampacking your itinerary, leave a few mornings free, resist the urge to book something for every day and instead take it one day at a time and see how you feel.
You might be surprised by what you can discover when you go in without expectations or an understanding of what is trending on social media in the area.
- You can’t put your phone down
We spend so much time looking at screens, checking messages and scrolling through other people’s lives that it’s easy to carry those habits into our holidays, too.
While away, I recommend trying to set some boundaries around screen time, whether that means checking your phone at certain times or putting it away for a few hours each day.
Wilderluxe Lake Keepit
Instead, head outside, take a walk, pick up a book or find a spot with a view, giving yourself time to be present without feeling the need to capture or share every moment.
You don’t have to go completely offline to feel the benefits of switching off a little more.
- Your itinerary is starting to feel like a to-do list
If you’re checking the time to make sure you get to your next activity, or worrying about missing out on something, your holiday can become more like work than relaxation.
Leave a couple days unplanned and focus on the little things like spending time with loved ones, heading to the water for the day or visiting a local café.
Some of the best parts of a holiday are the things you stumble upon, rather than something you organise weeks in advance.
- You’re craving time outdoors
The simplest way to reset is to spend a little more time outside. Nature gives you a reason to slow down without needing to fill the time.
At special places like Wilderluxe Lake Keepit, you can wake up surrounded by the bush and decide what the day looks like as you go.
You might head out for the day, or you might be perfectly happy staying put and enjoying the view. Both are a good use of your holiday and help you actually get some rest.
- You feel guilty doing nothing
We can become so accustomed to being productive that sitting still starts to feel like we should be doing something else.
Between work, planning meals, organising the kids and keeping on top of household chores, so much of our everyday lives is spent managing what comes next.
When we finally go on holiday and that structure falls away, it can be tempting to fill the newfound time with more plans and activities, rather than simply enjoying the freedom of having nowhere else to be.
Rest doesn’t need to be earned and a holiday shouldn’t be measured by how much you manage to fit in.
There’s real value in having the time and space to do very little, without feeling guilty about it.
Making room for less
A ‘nothing-cation’ is about having the freedom to choose what you feel like doing, rather than feeling you have to do it all.
Before planning time away, it’s worth thinking about what makes a break feel worthwhile and what you truly value when taking time off.
The length of your stay can also shape how you spend your time. A two-night getaway might be best spent slowing down and taking it easy, while a week or more gives you the flexibility to mix in activities with plenty of time to rest.
Whatever your holiday looks like, the best place to start is by giving yourself permission to slow down, leave space in the itinerary and put your phone away.
While you might not come home with a long list of things you’ve done, you will leave feeling that you’ve actually had a break.
