Working every day and experiencing burnout can be harmful, leading to depression in 48% of workers.
However, quitting work to recover may not be feasible for everyone. In such cases, a workations can be a viable option.
A workation is a vacation where employees blend work with vacation by traveling to a destination while continuing to work.
Here is a comprehensive guide to understanding what workations involve, their various types, and their benefits and disadvantages to help you determine if embarking on one is worthwhile.
What Is a Workation?
A workation is a form of travel that blends work with leisure, catering to remote workers, freelancers, and entrepreneurs who can work from anywhere with an internet connection.
Instead of working from home or in a traditional office, a workation allows individuals to explore new places while staying productive.
Companies are increasingly using workations to attract creative and skilled workers. There are several types of workations:
- Hybrid: Employees can work remotely for days, weeks, or even longer.
- Abroad: Companies can send teams to international workations to foster teamwork and innovation. It can also create international branches and analyze their competitors.
- Inspirational: Companies can reward employees with workations in beautiful locations.
- Digital nomad: Freelancers can combine work and travel as a lifestyle.
Due to the popularity of workations, hotels and other public spaces offer more work-friendly amenities. To avoid feeling homesick, you can stay in vacation homes through Wander instead of hotels to enjoy your work comfortably.
Benefits of Workations
Workations can be a great way to get over the monotony of everyday life and experience something new.
1. Work Enjoyment and Exploration
Working remotely allows flexibility in choosing work locations, including overseas destinations, which makes work more enjoyable by adding variety and excitement. The change from a regular office routine can be refreshing.
Remote work allows you to explore new places while still fulfilling work obligations.
With limited annual leave days in many countries, remote work satisfies the desire to explore while maintaining job responsibilities due to the increasing acceptance of remote work, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Building Connections and Stepping Out of Comfort Zones
Whether through digital nomad communities or chance encounters, remote work while traveling exposes individuals to new social circles and experiences.
Remote work, especially abroad, pushes you out of your comfort zone.
It involves adapting to new environments, languages, and cultures, which can be challenging and rewarding, fostering personal growth and adaptability.
3. Cultural Enrichment
Working remotely as a digital nomad exposes individuals to diverse cultures and backgrounds, facilitating personal growth and a broader perspective on life.
It allows for exploring different living environments, from cities to rural areas, and exposure to various climates, enriching one’s life experiences.
Disadvantages of Workations
While workations come with many advantages, this lifestyle has some downsides.
1. Perception Concerns and Potential Overwhelm
Working remotely from a fun destination may lead to skepticism from colleagues or supervisors about your work ethic. To counter this, you need to work harder than usual, be more visible, and actively demonstrate your dedication to your work.
Balancing work responsibilities with the excitement of a new country, people, and living situation can be overwhelming.
It’s essential to take things step by step, avoid rushing decisions, and maintain discipline to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
2. Financial Considerations
Remote work can be costly, especially if you own or rent a home in your home country. Additional expenses such as transportation, accommodation, and food can add up.
To manage costs, consider renting out your home while you’re away and choose affordable accommodation and dining options.
3. Homesickness and Disruption of Routine and Control
Being away from home can lead to feelings of missing your house, colleagues, family, friends, and hometown. However, the upside is knowing that you can always return home to enjoy these familiar comforts.
Working and living remotely means giving up your routines and the control you have over your environment. This can include access to familiar sports clubs, grocery stores, and your home office setup.
To cope, establish a new routine that can be maintained anywhere and ensure you have all essential work items to reduce dependence on external factors.
Endnote
A workation combines work with vacation, allowing employees to travel while continuing to work remotely. It offers benefits like work enjoyment and exploration opportunities but can lead to perception concerns and financial challenges.
Maintaining a balance between work and leisure is essential to make the most of a workation.