By Sayeh Woodman — We love our breaks and holidays here in the UK. Work hard and play harder is a very true statement!
The average Brit feels like they need a holiday just 29 days after returning from their last one, a study has found. Fatigue sets in less than four weeks after getting back from a break as the daily grind starts to affect work performance.
Eating more comfort food than usual was named the biggest sign you are in need of a break, along with being jealous at the sight of a friend’s holiday snaps. And those who don’t get regular breaks admit to feeling more stressed, being less productive and more likely to make mistakes at work.
After speaking with a local travel agent, research and bookings show that most people nowadays are ditching the flip-flops for more active holidays and putting on the trainers embarking on adventures.
People want to make the most of their holidays rather than lazing around a pool, they want to soak up the sun and see and do more, a sense of satisfaction that they have been productive as well as experiencing a holiday.
This increasing endorphin levels and helping with stress levels too. Also adventure holidays seem to be more affordable as well. Sarah explained to me that she sees a pattern when it comes to her clients and booking holidays for them, it leaves them also feeling more stressed and more tired, so they come and book a holiday even if a weekend away, every 4 weeks.
Hiking is the most popular activity to do on a break, followed by cycling, water sports and sailing.
One in twenty have even booked a break to coincide with an elite sporting event such as an iron man or triathlon.
I can relate to this, I booked a holiday to Disney Land Paris and it was a great holiday for all, as my daughter was happy and so was I, as I got to do the first DisneyLand Paris half marathon 2016. Other activities people book to do on holiday include, cycling, water sports, sailing/boating, mountain biking, climbing/abseiling, skiing, yoga, go-karting, caving.
Experiencing something new and feeling like they’ve accomplished something were ranked as the top two priorities when booking a trip away, while less than 5 per cent view ‘relaxing with a good book’ as the best way to unwind when on holiday. It’s great to have a friend as a travel agent, not just good for the statistics and information but great for cheaper holidays!
If you can’t get away every 4 weeks, sounds rather luxurious to me, here are the signs that you need a holiday!
Eating more comfort food than usual. You get jealous seeing friend’s pictures of their holiday or break. You spend more time daydreaming than doing your actual day job. You can’t face your to-do list. You find yourself looking at old travel pictures over and over again. You hit snooze on the morning alarm one too many times. You can no longer muster the will to make small talk at work. You enter a room and can’t remember what you went in there for. You drink more tea/coffee than usual to help you get through the day. You oversleep more than once a week.
The thing is you don’t have to spend a lot of money when it comes to that holiday feel or leave the country.
For example Muscat has beautiful hotels to enjoy, lots of scenic beaches that make you feel like you’re going away and have some great outdoor activities to enjoy. I do think for affordability to go away once every month is extreme, but if you can then why not?! Although sometimes it’s worth exploring what’s on your own patch before you look further afield.
— sayehwoodman@outlook.com
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