Call it a workation, a woliday or anything you like, the pandemic has led to a rise in popularity in trips that combine work and pleasure, with 74% of remote workers saying they’d consider taking one, according to research company Axios.
We sent a poll out to our just under 200,000 LinkedIn followers and found a whopping 60.5% of those surveyed cited the uniqueness or attractiveness of a destination as the most influential factor in deciding to take a workation.
But like the targeted ad I just received for Studio 54-inspired glittery sweatpants for at-home Zoom parties (surely Bianca Jagger wouldn’t have worn an elasticated tracksuit?) it’s clear that not everything blended is for the better.
Some proponents of bleisure trips believe they’re great for boosting morale. Others believe that combining work and play can lead to burnout. If you’re excited to return to travel and intent on combining a sales meeting with a tour of the Acropolis, here’s how to get the best out of your time.
- Switch off completely
In the battle against information overload, exacerbated by the pandemic and reliance on screens, it’s important to take time to fully switch off. “Don’t let the feeling of false progress fool you,” says Jocelyn Glai, author of ‘Unsubscribe,’ “When we put off doing important tasks by opening each email message at the moment it arrives we’re tricking our brain. It triggers the same response we get from accomplishing an important task.”
- Schedule longer blocks of time to explore
To truly get the best out of your time, it’s best not to steal hours here and there but book an entire day or at least half a day to vacation. Work engages your responsible, strategic, intelligent adult mind. To reap the cognitive benefits of the leisure aspect of your trip, try and remember what you loved doing as a child, identify the most important aspect and find the adult version, approached with childlike wonder. If you liked building as a kid, you might explore an amazing feat of engineering in a new city. If you liked adventure, hire a bike and get lost in a new place.
- Plan ahead
Reduce the mental load and potential strain on productivity by packing well (including portable chargers and backup hotspot), sending detailed handovers to colleagues back at home and making sure you have everything you need with our Travel Essentials tool.