Recharging at Home: How I Made My Thanksgiving Break Truly Restful

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! I took two extra days off—plus the weekend—and wanted to share some reflections on what made this time off feel genuinely restorative.

This break felt especially unique because my husband and I didn’t travel. We usually spend holidays hopping between places, so having the privilege of staying home and slowing down was something I didn’t take for granted. It gave me space to unwind, recharge, and reset before jumping back into the work week.

Below are a few things I did that helped my stay-at-home break feel surprisingly satisfying and rejuvenating. I hope they spark some ideas for your next long weekend or vacation!

1. Ending the Work Week With Intention

Before logging off on Wednesday, I made myself a clear to-do list for the upcoming week. I do this at the end of every work week, and it’s become a grounding ritual.
It helps me:

• Organize what needs to be tackled next

• Brain-dump lingering tasks from the previous week

• Mentally “close the tab” on work so I can actually rest

This simple act made it much easier to step into time off without that nagging sense of unfinished business.

2. Turning Off Work Apps (A Necessary Boundary!)

I turned off all work-related phone apps and fully shut down my computer. Because I had a few extra days off, I wanted to make sure my brain knew we were done with work.

It was such a helpful physical cue—almost like signaling to myself, Okay, now we rest.

3. A Couple Days of Pure Relaxation

Since we don’t typically celebrate Thanksgiving in a big way, the first few days were dedicated to prime relaxation mode. Think:

• Sleeping in

• Reading

• Watching TV

• Journaling

• Wearing cozy clothes

• Playing pickleball

We did only what we felt like doing, which made us feel a little like kids again—and it was perfect.

4. Tackling a Few Chores (But Only When We Wanted To)

Once we felt recharged, we used some time to take care of a few household chores we’d been putting off. Getting those done quickly helped us feel productive without sacrificing the “time off” mindset.

It was a reminder that rest and productivity don’t have to be mutually exclusive—you can do both, gently.

5. A No-Tech Day That Reset Everything

One of my favorite parts of the break was our no-tech day. Our main goal was to avoid scrolling and be fully present. That meant:

• No TV

• No social media

• No background digital noise

Instead, we:

• Read books

• Baked an apple galette

• Went on a walk

• Talked—without distraction

This ended up being one of the least stressful days we’ve had in a long time. We even talked afterward about how to incorporate mini no-tech moments into our daily routines, especially since both our jobs depend heavily on our devices.

A Stay-At-Home Break Can Still Feel Like a Vacation

Even though we never left the house, this Thanksgiving break left me feeling relaxed and re-energized. These small rituals and intentional choices transformed a simple long weekend into something truly restorative.

I hope some of these ideas inspire you for your next break—whether you’re traveling or simply taking time to rest at home. I know I’ll be revisiting them!