Summer often makes us want to take a break and getaway. If you can’t get away because you or a loved one has breast cancer treatments, take a staycation instead.

Here are a few ways to be somewhere else by staying where you are:

• Plan Ahead: Put it on the calendar as if you were really going away. Keep those days as clear as you can of appointments and obligations.

• Unplug: Consider telling people you will be “gone” or “out-of-office” because it can automatically shift everyone’s perspective. Scheduling time to be away from email and your phone is something many people don’t even do when they do go on vacation, but distancing yourself from the rush of technology just might be more restorative than a private island!

• Do Something New: Order take-out from a new restaurant. Do a creative project. Go visit that one cultural or historical thing in your town you’ve never done. Doing something new, even if you don’t “love” it, is relaxing and stimulating all at the same time — good for your brain and body!

• Spend Time Outside: If you can, plan a longer than usual outdoor activity. Spend a few hours walking in nature, take a bike ride, have a picnic in your own backyard, or take a scenic drive close-to-home with all the windows down and your favorite tunes playing — such an refreshing gift to yourself!

• Get “Lost”: Take a walk or a drive with no destination in mind, just for the joy of being out with no specific agenda.

• Don’t Forget a Souvenir: Commemorate your staycation by buying yourself a little something special, or by creating a homemade souvenir! It can serve as a reminder of these days of rest and refreshment, and help you re-connect with them when you’re back to your regular schedule.

One souvenir suggestion is a set of For the Girls pink wind chimes, a beautiful way to remind you of the harmony that’s always available to you. 50% of the purchase price of these wind chimes is always donated to charities providing treatment and researching a cure for breast cancer.

Take a staycation alone or with a loved one this summer to find peace and inspiration exactly where you are. You might be surprised at how relaxing and refreshing it can be!