New research has revealed that the key to holiday relaxation in 2018 does not lie in setting the Out of Office; as 80% of Brits prefer to be contactable ‘just in case’.
Lifestyle travel company Flash Pack  (which connects solo 30-40-somethings for group adventure trips) discovered that for 72% of professionals; staying connected is less stressful than switching off completely, allowing them to ‘check-in then chill’ instead.
The idea of disconnecting is something of a pipe dream, with 68% of Brits admitting that they have never managed to fully ‘digitally detox’ from work, and 36% avoiding a trip that prevents access to emails. Not only this; 62% of those surveyed said the pre-holiday handover was so stressful it would make them think twice about taking a break – whilst 26% find empty days with no ‘to-do list’ bewildering rather than blissful.
Flash Pack suggests that the changing approach to relaxation can be attributed to the growing number of self-employed, which has risen from 3.3 million people in 2001 to 4.8 million in 2018. With this in mind, the company worked with leading psychologist Corinne Sweet to calculate the perfect formula for holiday relaxation in modern-day Britain: a combination of short work slots and plenty of rest:
30 x minutes of work-access per day: Either in one go or split into two. Tell colleagues this is when you’re contactable should they need to get in touch
8.5 x hours sleep: According to new scientific thinking, we only spend 90% of our time in bed asleep, so 8.5 hours delivers the 8 hours actual sleep needed for busy professionals
1 x new experience a day: Doing something different brings about significant changes in anxiety and decreases stress. Keep an eye out for something new to do, or go with a company like Flash Pack, offering itineraries off the beaten track
2 x hours outdoors: The benefits of being outside include mood-boosting, Â promoting positive personality traits and driving concentration.
1 x hour being active: This doesn’t need to mean an intense workout – just aim to get moving for this amount of time across the day
1 x new social ‘bond’: We’re not saying go out and become ‘best friends’ with everyone you meet. Just being open to striking up a conversation with someone new is scientifically proven to boost confidence and wellbeing, which is why Flash Pack focuses on connecting like-minded people.
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