Workcations: Best of both worlds or a recipe for low productivity?

If you notice during a vacation that the person beside you on the dining table has their laptop on, food on the table and a stunning view outside, then here’s your cue to identify that they have come for a workcation. This new trend of working while on vacation has raised quite a few questions about its validity. Does it make sense to work while you are on a vacation? Does productivity really get a boost while you are on a vacation? Here’s looking at how workcations might benefit a person…or not?

Are workcations beneficial?

Remember in old movies how a writer used to stay on rent in an old farm or a huge mansion, to get the mood of what they are writing. These stays went on for quite a while, along with some eerie experiences so that the book had much in essence. These are the times when workcations actually work.

To cut a long story short, if you are a designer, writer, researcher, or entrepreneur, then workcations can be a change of scenery, fuelling your mind with fresh motivations and intentions. It helps ignite creativity and alleviate psychological distress.

Second, if you are in a profession where work won’t be hampered if you are away from your laptop for a while, your schedule is under control, and the output is required more than your physical presence, then you can choose to go for a workcation.

Third, in these cases, people tend to have an extended stay rather than just going for a few nights. This means you can work the weekdays and explore the place on your free time and on weekends. This method of working also benefits those who get drained by long commute hours, constant chattering in the workplace which doesn’t give you the peace needed to work and other reasons not to work in office.

Does workcations lower overall productivity?

Workcations is like the middle of a balance which keeps shifting. It is neither completely enjoying the scenery nor concentrating at your best. You might have to take a video call while dipping your feet in the sea water at the beach, or have to end up sitting through a boring meeting with the Leaning Tower of Pisa as your wallpaper.

Moreover, today’s work demands that you solve everything real time. Which means, even if you are on a workcation in a different time zone, you will have to adjust your availability as per the time zone of your organisation.

Further, network, especially if you are out of the country or in remote places become a huge hindrance in proper communication. This can lead to additional stress.  

Thus, workcations can be successfully followed if it reduces your work load, motivates you to do better, and don’t add more stress to life. In case, they don’t do any of these, then workcations might not be perfect for the kind of work you do.

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