Leisure and rest can be interchangeable, but both have different meanings, depending on how you look at it. Leisure can be rest while rest cannot be leisure; there are different needs to be attended to by each, and there’s a whole world of difference however you look at it.
Leisure time helps us operate even during times of stress like the pandemic. Whatever you’re doing during leisure time, your brain is still operating; the difference is that you like what you’re doing as opposed to working. Let’s say you love designing dresses for weddings. That can be a leisure activity for you. However, the leisure we’re talking about here is about vacations and travel.
It’s a new year in 2021. There’s a pandemic, but that won’t make much difference when vaccines start rolling out. Take a look at which trends and travel destinations might become popular this year.
Taking a ‘Workcation’
To be sure, this is a version of the popular working vacation where you work while you travel. But instead of returning to the office when you come back, you return to your home office, instead.
Booking company Booking.com expects that workers will finally adopt the ‘nomad’ lifestyle with the introduction of the remote working arrangement. It’s been that way since the pandemic closed down offices and forced employees to embrace the remote work lifestyle.
To further spice up working from home, what this trend suggests is workers relocating to some exotic paradise to experience working there. Of course, it won’t be possible with the current restrictions on travel. People will have to wait until everyone is vaccinated before they can even begin to experience—or dream about—working vacations such as this.
Embracing the Great Outdoors
2020 has managed to give people the importance of the great outdoors. There are a lot who would give a lot just to be able to go out and seek nature like before. Hiking and relaxing are only a few of what these people might miss because they’re cooped up in their homes.
There might also be changes in how people would love to take a holiday again. Some people would prefer a holiday home for rent to a hotel, thanks to the scare caused by the pandemic. There are also those who would prefer to go to a rural holiday destination as opposed to urban centers in popular tourist countries.
Vacation for Health
There are many benefits to seeking nature when you’re on vacation. This pandemic has taught many people that it’s better to commune with nature rather than seek to travel to destinations just to do what they normally do in their urbanized homes.
The change reflected has half of the travelers considering traveling to destinations where they can sustainably do activities. Fewer people are also considering going with other people during peak seasons, so the unexpected effect of this might be that peak seasons will also change, thanks to the adjustments in travel behaviors from people.
Learn a New Language at Home
With all the traveling you’re going to do you’re also required to know how to speak with the people in these places. That’s why you need to learn languages. It’s one of the many things you can learn while at home, thanks to many online channels that are teaching new languages.
You don’t even have to hire teachers to do this. Learn French, Japanese, Korean, or any other language you so choose by searching for them online. You can even learn to write these languages, all at the comfort of your own home. All it should take is for you to be receptive and diligent enough to study.
Learning a New Skill
If learning new languages is not your cup of tea, then perhaps the learning of a new skill? Language retention is just one of the many branches that fall under this.
You can learn how to play the guitar or piano if you don’t know already. Music has a soothing effect on the mind and it’s one of the many underrated pleasures during this time of the pandemic. Music and learning languages are just a few of those skills you can learn—choose what you think is for you.
Learning languages, workcations, and learning new skills are just ways to an end, this being your goal of relaxing and releasing stress. It’s up to you how you want to feel as if normalcy has returned once you can go out of your home. All you just need is to follow the protocols right now, to return healthy when it’s okay for people to go out once more.
