The New Travel Trend: "Workation" and Their Benefits

One of this year’s biggest remote work trends is taking a workation. What is a workation? The workation definition is exactly what it sounds like: work + a vacation. Until recently, working on vacation used to be frowned upon, a faux pas made by workaholics who had no time for a personal life. However, combining work and vacation is one of the biggest remote work trends as of recent, a result of social distancing requirements and so many establishments closing their doors and asking employees to set up a “home” office. Workations are no longer just for people who work 100% online, they are for everyone who's tired of staring at the walls of their home day in and day out. By communicating clearly with your boss and coworkers, you can travel the world without taking a personal day and see all the benefits of work and vacations being combined.

Find a New Perspective

The benefits of work and vacations being combined can leave you feeling refreshed if you’re burnt out or uninspired. When you get out of your comfort zone and travel to a new culture, your perspective shifts. Suddenly, you remember your passion for your career, and the little frustrations don’t seem like big deals anymore. Being able to work and vacation at the same time lets you clear your head and relax, showing you new ideas or better ways to do things. This new perspective can improve creativity and engagement at work.

Lower your Stress

By trading the office cubicle for a hammock on the beach, you can lower your stress while working on vacation. After years of the daily grind, employees are finding new ways for how to work remotely that remove some of the stress and pressure, and while you may not be able to go online full time, taking a short work vacation can alleviate stress. Plus, staying in an all-inclusive resort with housekeeping and on-site restaurants takes care of part of your regular to-do list.

See Increased Productivity

When you don’t have to worry about cooking and cleaning at the end of the day, you’ll likely see your productivity increase. However, the temptation while working on vacation is to head out and explore all day, so it’s important to create a schedule for how to work remotely. With designated hours for work and play, you’ll be able to focus on the task at hand, and when you combine work and vacations into one, you’ll be able to get work done while looking out over the beach or relaxing in the shade of palm trees.

Explore the World

After clocking out for the day, it’s time to remember what the other half of the workation definition is about: vacationing. Throw on your flip flops, and head down to the beach. Spend your evenings and weekends of a work vacation checking out local museums, pursuing boutique shops, or having a leisurely dinner. As you work and vacation at the same time, you’ll learn more about other cultures, which in turn makes people more empathetic and knowledgeable. It’s this ability to travel that makes workations one of this year’s biggest remote work trends.

While your options for a workation destination are endless, you’ll want to make sure you keep social distancing suggestions in mind and choose a place that has received recognition for its stance against the Coronavirus. The World Travel & Tourism Council, a great resource for up-to-date information, has recently donned certain destinations around the world with a Safe Travels stamp, a seal that the community and its government are doing everything they can to keep visitors safe. Various destinations in Mexico, such as Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, and Riviera Nayarit, have received this stamp. When you couple that with the country being downgraded by the U.S. Department of State from a Level 4 to a Level 3 travel advisory, you can be confident that you’re choosing the right destination for your workation.

Return Rested and Ready

When you’re working on vacation, you won’t fall behind and return home to a full inbox and a pile of memos, but if you’ve planned your work vacation well, you’ll have had all the fun and relaxation of a typical vacation, leaving you rested and ready to get back to work. When your coworkers see you and the pictures you’ve posted online, they’ll be asking you “What is a workation?”

Knowing how to work remotely gives you the benefits of work and vacations at the same time, but you don’t have to be a full-time digital nomad to travel the world while you work. Once you know what is a workation, you’ll be able to jet off without requesting paid time off. When you do, it’s important to remember that the workation definition includes both work and vacation, so it’s important to make time for both to get all these benefits.