Are you wondering how fun and productivity can go together? It turns out researchers have proven taking a vacation positively contributes to work productivity. Here’s how it works.
Evidence shows you can get a happiness boost from anticipating an experience. You’re apt to finish your work faster and with better results when there’s a vacation ahead. Plus, taking time off can break up your weekly routine to leave you feeling refreshed, restored, and ready to return to work when it’s over. So, let’s start planning for your next exciting productivity booster with these five fun and affordable vacation options.
Celebrate the Staycation
You might not have the time or money to fly out on a lavish vacation right now. Don’t get too discouraged. There’s always the staycation option. Staying home for vacation might not sound like the good time you’d first envisioned when planning time off, but it can be just as fun as traveling. It’s also extremely budget-friendly.
Customize your staycation to what you love to do. Your dream stay-vacay might involve spending your day in your pajamas and catching up on reading or watching your favorite streaming series. A more active vacation idea could have you checking out local parks and hiking trails or exploring your own town as if you were a tourist. It doesn’t really matter what you do. It only matters that you have fun doing it.
Gear Up for Glamping
Camping might be the most affordable vacation option, but it’s also weather-dependent. Glamping is a great option for nature enthusiasts and people who prefer to experience nature from a window inside a climate-controlled building.
Glamping, or glamour camping, is more like a luxury camping experience. Most are more affordable than the average vacation, although there are certainly expensive options available. You can enjoy all your creature comforts with the benefit of natural surroundings.
Glamping options could include a yurt, a teepee, a treehouse, or even an igloo. Sites like Airbnb, VRBO, or HomeAway list many unexpected options for your glamping experience. You could find yourself staying in a covered wagon, tiny house, barn, boat, pod, RV, or train caboose. You can search for nearby sites to spend less time traveling and more time enjoying the glamorous life of the glamping vacationer.
Travel in Style
Some vacation options are going to be more affordable if you’re conveniently located. People who live within driving distance to a port may find a cruise vacation or boating excursion an affordable option. The benefit of a cruise is that accommodations, food, drinks, entertainment, and even childcare are included in the cost.
A passenger train can provide yet another affordable option that feels like luxury without an expensive price tag. Consider the amenities in your area and see if there’s a transportation vacation option available.
Jump on Travel Deals
Another way to plan that productivity-boosting vacation is to stay on top of travel deals. Credit cards that offer reward miles will occasionally offer discounts or special savings. Some travel websites advertise deals of the day. You can periodically check flights to the location of your choice; you might be surprised to find that rates drop unexpectedly. Subscribe to email lists on travel sites, or take some time to research those dream vacations to see if you can find a bargain.
Visit Friends and Family
Another option for vacation time is to make it a point to visit friends or family outside your area. Make sure your plans are convenient for them and don’t invite yourself to stay in their home. They may offer accommodations, and then you’ll need to decide if that’s the route you want to go. You may be more comfortable in a hotel or other vacation rental. Just be sure not to overstay your welcome if you do accept an invitation.
The advantage of a vacation to an area where you know someone is that you’ll have familiar people who can either show you around or point you in the direction of the best food, stays, and experiences in the area. It’s also a great way to catch up with those you care about. It can also help narrow down the options of where you’ll visit.
Take a day trip. Go for a weekend adventure. Fake your death and move to a remote and unpopulated tropical island.
Scratch that last one!
You may be in a position where you just can’t take a vacation — stay or otherwise. Consider planning an experience instead. Take a short class. Go skydiving. Visit a museum. Find a way to take that productivity break you need, and enjoy the many benefits — the anticipation before, the relaxation during, and the sense of refreshment when it’s over. Just like a computer, you may need to shut off the world for a while before you are ready to restart and get back to work.
