If you are on leave from work, you have many things to do. If you are on an extended leave, the best way to spend it is to go to an exotic island, a beach, a mountain getaway, or a luxury vacation at a resort.
Our jobs can be very stressful, during which we do not get time for even simple pleasures. If this continues for extended periods, we may develop health issues like anxiety and depression. Furthermore, working nonstop drops our productivity significantly over time. That is why people with stressful jobs need to take time out.
If you feel stressed due to these circumstances, take our advice and visit any exotic vacation spots.
Go for a Mountain Escape
It is perhaps one of the best escapes from life and all its problems. You leave all your worries behind once you are in the mountains. Even if you want to relax and enjoy nature with all its amenities, you can rent Gatlinburg luxury cabins in the middle of the Great Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It offers a range of luxury cabin experience that feels like a home away from home.
In addition, you get to enjoy all the surrounding outdoor activities like bonfires, BBQs, indoor swimming, playing grounds and parks for children, and an outdoor cinema experience. Once you indulge yourself in such pleasures, you will forget all about work and all your daily problems, guaranteed.
Gatlinburg is one of the most famous and top-of-the-line vacation spots for families, mainly for this reason. Every year, thousands of families visit Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge to enjoy a holiday full of fun and adventure.
Plan a Road Trip
According to Gallup’s latest Global Workplace Report, US workers are among the most stressed workers in the world. About 57% of the US and Canadian workers report feeling stressed every day, with 43% who generally feel stressed the entire day due to financial problems, health concerns, and racial trauma. This trend has been upward since 2009, and Gallup expects it to continue increasing in the coming decade.
It is perhaps one of the most fun activities and a better way to travel than by air. You experience the journey, not just the destination, via road trips. It is even more fun with more people. Gather as many people as possible, whether your college friends group or your entire family. The more, the merrier.
Book an RV or a tour bus, and you will have an experience unlike any other. If you are in California, Phoenix, Utah, or Arizona, you will enjoy it more than in North America because these areas are more road trip friendly and easier to take.
Although driving cross-country could take months, making many stops along the way will be worth it. You will come across multiple festivals, cultural celebrations, and other colorful gatherings along the way. It will allow you to explore different cultures, meet new people, and have a learning experience. Such a trip will teach you a lot and give you memories to cherish forever.
More travel inspiration
- Digital Nomad Packing List: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling Light
- The Best Carry On Travel Backpack: A Practical Guide
- Best Destinations for Digital Nomads
Learn Something New
Our growth never stops as humans. There will always be new learning experiences at every stage of life. Having an extended time off from work is the ideal time to do and learn something you have always wanted to do but never got around to doing.
Some fun learning activities include:
- Learn to play a musical instrument. People find learning to play the piano, guitar, and violin fun.
- Read a book or join a book club. Reading is more fun when you share similar passions and interests with a group with similar tastes. Alternatively, you can also listen to your favorite audiobooks all by yourself. Moreover, reading self-help books also helps you a lot with your problems.
- Learn to cook something new. If you are clueless about cooking, join a cooking class for beginners. On the other hand, try a new recipe you saw on YouTube or Instagram. Soon, you will enjoy this simple activity and begin to excel at it.
- Take online courses. These will help upgrade your current skills. Udemy and Coursera are a couple of the most in-demand and popular platforms for taking short and long courses. You can learn graphic designing, video editing, digital marketing, and social media management, and online MBA; learn programming and coding, and an array of other courses from all fields. In addition, you can complete these courses at your own pace.
Volunteer
Nothing is more rewarding than doing some volunteer work. Knowing that you helped a community without expecting any monetary return is a feeling like none other. You will find multiple volunteering opportunities at homeless shelters, animal shelters, nursing homes, psychiatric wards, and people with special needs and disabilities. Helping the underprivileged in society humbles any human being. We often forget to give back to our community. Volunteering is an excellent way of doing this.
Tackle a Fitness Challenge
If your work requires you to sit at the desk and stare at a laptop screen for hours, then you need to focus on your physical movement. Limit your screen time, as it can hurt and damage your eyes. Step out for fresh air, and refresh by surrounding yourself with the natural environment. Go for a run, a jog, or work out outside.
Alternatively, you can join a yoga or meditation club. Surrounding yourself with fitness enthusiasts will motivate you to focus on your fitness. Set a target for yourself. Whether it is losing weight, getting rid of joint and muscle pain, or remaining active, work on it every day until you achieve your goal.
Conclusion
Whenever you get time off work, please do not waste it. Instead, spend it productively by doing things you love, learning something you have always wanted to learn, or simply enjoying nature. If you need to cut back on old or bad habits, this is your time to do so.
The ideal ways of spending your leave of absence are by traveling, giving back to society, generally recharging yourself, and nourishing your soul with adventure, thrill, excitement, fitness, games, and learning experiences. Such activities will make you forget all your worries. When you get back to work, you will feel refreshed and energized, ready to put in all your efforts for the best output. It will increase your work performance, and your overall productivity will be off the charts. Once you do that, more than half your problems will resolve themselves. The things you have been putting off that were weighing you down are now off your chest. Now, you can focus on your present, work, and family without any stress tying you down.
