Did you know that nearly 75% of people in a new poll say instead of losing their annual leave days are willing to work while they’re away?
By necessity, the COVID-19 pandemic caused companies to move many employees out of the office and transition them into a WFH hybrid working system, and it’s been a shift that’s proven both practical and long-lasting for much of the workforce.
The flexibility afforded by work-from-home arrangements has essentially freed those workers to do their jobs from anywhere with a reliable internet connection. The ‘workation’ trend now booming, Icelandair, Iceland’s flagship airline, has analyzed over 100 of the most prominent cities in the world to uncover where’s best to take a wellness workcation.
From internet speed to, the cost of living to the average working hours, the team analyzed the data to find average scores and then ranked them in order.
Kansas City is the best city for a workcation, followed by Vienna and Wellington
You can find out more information on the wellness workcations and travel tips on Iceldandair’s website, here: https://www.icelandair.com/blog/wellness-travel-report/.
A Traveller’s Guide to Jet Lag
To help travelers make the most of their trip, Icelandair has put together a guide to jet lag for those whose dream destinations cross time zones.
Depending on which direction you’re traveling in, the way you experience jet lag, especially changes in sleeping patterns, will be different. This is because you are either moving to a time zone that is several hours behind, or one that is ahead.
Westward travel (time zone behind):
- Generally, experience early awakening (pre-dawn) and uncharacteristic sleepiness in the evenings.
Eastward travel (time zone ahead):
- Difficulty sleeping in the new destination at bedtime and difficulty waking up in the morning.
Same time zone:
- Very few to no problems.
Travelers generally find eastward travel harder than westward as it’s easier to delay your internal clock than advance it.
Looking after yourself during long-haul flights
Before you even get to your destination, the process of taking a long-haul flight can be a draining one. From preparing properly before you travel to making sure you are drinking enough during the flight, we have some tips to help make sure your journey is as comfortable as it can be.
| Tips | Overview |
| Prep before you leave | Try adjusting your sleep pattern to your new time zone early. If you’re traveling west, aim to sleep an hour later, and if you’re going east aim to go to sleep an hour earlier. |
| Arrive early | Allow 1-2 days between arriving and any important meetings or events you may be attending to allow your body time to adjust to the new time zone. |
| Plan your arrival time | Aim to arrive in the early evening and stay up till at least 10 pm. This will help you to get into local sleep-wake times as soon as possible. |
| Stay hydrated | The cabin air can be particularly drying, so be sure to drink lots of water before, during, and after your flight to counter its effects. Dehydration is known to make jet lag worse too, so it’s particularly key here to stay hydrated. |
| Regulate meal times | To avoid feeling hungry at irregular times in your destination time zone, try to eat meals closer to the time you’ll be eating them when you arrive. |
| Be prepared | Getting a good night’s sleep once you’ve arrived can be tricky in a new environment. Bring earplugs and an eye mask to reduce any unwanted noise and block out unwanted light. |
Methodology
To reveal the best cities for a wellness workcation, we collated a list of 115 global cities and analyzed a variety of factors. We specifically looked at
Factors:
- Quality of Life Index
- Cost of Living
- Safety Index
- Health Care Index
- Internet Speed
- Average Working Hours (Total, Hours/worker, 2020 or latest available)
- Climate Index
- Traffic Commute Time Index
- Noise & Light Pollution (100 worst – 0 best)
- Air Quality (100 worst – 0 best)
- Happiness Index
Sources: