Re-mix your Work and Holiday

Pandemic or no pandemic, we simply don’t know how to set work and life boundaries. Work will always embody us. For most people, work represents who they are. They carry their work titles at home and in their communities. We will always check those work emails at night and on the weekends and sneak in some work past 5 pm and sometimes late nights. And our lives will be consumed with work for as long as we live, sometimes even during retirement. There is no such thing as balance if we’re being honest.

And there is really nothing wrong with that. We are accountable for managing our time and energy, so accepting that work and life are entirely intertwined, whether we like it or not, is the best thing we can do. The 1995 thriller/action movie, The Net, was my kind of work and lifestyle. As a computer programmer myself at the time, I quickly identified with the main character played by Sandra Bullock. She worked from home and vacationed in some exotic places. Donning a stylish bikini and looking gorgeous under the beautiful sun on the charming Mexico beach, she occasionally checked in at work. She perhaps did some programming on the side (the movie did not actually show that, but my imagination did).

While some companies had difficulty imagining their workforce working from home full-time, the pandemic taught us a major lesson. People can be trusted to do their work outside of the company premises and still deliver results. That’s how we were able to manage the last 2 years. The world did not stop. In fact, we were doing so much better. In March 2021, “nearly six out of 10 workers reported being more productive working from home than they expected to be”. In addition, in April 2021, data collected showed that the “work-from-home boom will life productivity in the US economy by 5%“.

What makes this new work arrangement better? 

Reclaimed personal time

Zero commute means more time for the individual to spend on his own or with his family – less time to get ready or prepare for work, more time to sleep, and even time to exercise in the morning before logging in to work. “I literally wake up an hour before 8 am to get breakfast and get ready for work. I usually spend an hour getting the whole family ready in the morning. Then, another hour for me to shower, put on make-up, do my hair, and get on my work suit. And finally, another hour to commute to work,” says Adelaine (not her real name), who lives in the east bay of Northern California working for one of the high-tech companies in the Silicon Valley. Her story is common and saving 2 hours every morning to get more shut-eye and exercise already sounds like a winner.

Personal space for deep and long-term thinking

How many of us get interrupted by colleagues stopping by for quick questions that typically turn into stay-in chats? Or perhaps the lack of personal space in the office to sit down uninterrupted to do some deep thinking stunts our creative growth. Being in the office constantly reminds us that the culture is to grind and leave the office past 5 pm because our colleagues do it and our bosses expect it. Without that reminder, we can choose our own spaces as much as needed to promote expansive and growth-oriented thinking—a win-win scenario for the company and the individual.

Focus on results, less on politics

At work, there is more opportunity for the bosses and brown-nosing colleagues to play the flirtatious game of politics, which is quite annoying and highly demotivating to the less favored employees. Working remotely doesn’t mean this is not happening, but you are not there to see it. Does that put you on an unequal footing? Think again – remote or no remote – you need to be skillful in navigating office politics regardless of where you are. Perhaps you have more chances now because everyone is calling in from remote locations. The point is that those who usually survive playing footsies with the boss may not do as well in this set-up, as their results and performance become less prominent. The boss becomes more politics-blind and leans in on results and numbers as tangible evidence of performance.

Minor conformance and more diversity

Do you know that people find pushing back harder when in face-to-face situations versus when in remote or virtual calls? The technique we use to gain alignment and agreement is to bring people together in a room through face-to-face conversations, so the opposite is true. But why is minor conformance good? In a remote working set-up, people do not feel the need always to conform. They think increased freedom to express their individuality and opinion when working remotely or virtually. This is not bad.  McKinsey & Co’s Diversity and Inclusion featured insights show that companies benefit from diverse perspectives. Companies need to know the harsh truth, deal with data, and develop the best solution to be competitive. The environment and culture need to be ready for diverse, honest, and open discourse to accomplish that.

Work anywhere

If we encourage diversity and creativity to find innovative solutions through deep thinking, why not expand the experiential learning and exposure to simply “anywhere”? Being cooped up in the corporate or home offices, workers are sometimes reduced to mechanical action and thinking to get through the day. If you work anywhere, the experience you create for yourself becomes expansive. The definition of “anywhere” is up to you and based on the nature of your work. For example, “anywhere” could be the metaverse, the beach, the factory, or the retail floor. “Working” becomes less constrained to sitting in your chair within the comforts of your zone.

Re-mix your work, life, travel, and holiday

If you have decided to go with working anywhere, this is a chance to experience integrated work and lifestyle traveling, as the location is no longer a constraint for you. This is kinda like “The Net” allusion – work, live, and play elsewhere but not here. 

To help you realize this new set-up, look for Casai to take you to beautiful destinations in Mexico and Brazil. Casai offers rental properties designed to “merge life, work, and community while constantly being on the go.” Their beautifully designed apartments in Mexico City, Rio De Janeiro, and Sao Paulo were curated for the modern remote work traveler. Their boutique apartments are equipped with high-speed WIFI, workspaces, natural light, hotel services, and luxury amenities to let your mind and body wander and discover your best imaginations. Casai provides five tips for remote work travel and making the most out of it in this blog article.

Mexico City

The Almada Chic Escape 2-bedroom/2-bathroom 603 sq.ft. apartments in this neighborhood can accommodate 4 guests. Rent is $94.55/night or 15% off for 14-29 nights or 20% off on 30+ nights. Assuming 30 nights, that’s roughly $2,269 monthly rent. You get the best of all worlds by traveling, working, and living in this chic apartment that you call your temporary home in Mexico City. This apartment is equipped with the best of their smart home tech listening to your favorite song with Google Home or watching that new documentary on Chromecast. You can have friends over or just stay in for a delicious home-cooked meal in your fully equipped modern kitchen or ask the 24/7 concierge for top restaurant recommendations and reservations if you like exploring the neighborhood for traditional and new Mexican cuisine.

This apartment is located in Roma Norte, Mexico, an eclectic neighborhood with some of the city’s best dining and nightlife. You can find everything from street tacos to sophisticated restaurants alongside stores showcasing the works of local designers.

Rio de Janeiro

The Mendes Marvellous Suite is a 1-bedroom/1-bathroom 500 sq.ft. apartment located in the beautiful Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro. This neighborhood is an affluent residential area anchored by the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, which is surrounded by parks laced with jogging and cycling paths. Good for 3 guests, this apartment rents for $65.09/night. Casai offers 15% off for 14-29 nights or 20% off on 30+ nights. Assuming 30 nights, that’s roughly $1,562 monthly rent. This is a great work/life/travel/holiday arrangement made possible by companies like Casai.

Sao Paulo

The Amira Jungle Penthouse is a complete package of unique fun, holiday, and work. It’s a 2-bedroom/2.5 bathroom/4-guests capacity state-of-the-art penthouse with treehouse views and private beach club access. It has 2-bedroom/2.5 bathroom It comes with every premium amenity you could possibly need during your stay in Tulum. It’s Located in Puerta Azul, a high-end community of only 9 amazing condos developed by the renowned firm Artigas Arquitectos. Its open-concept living room was designed to have a panoramic view of your tropical terrace; just slide your doors open and experience incomparable freedom day by day. It’s fully-equipped luxury kitchen also offers perfect spaces for hyper breakfasts and chats with a view. Your own personal terrace is perfect for stargazing into the mayan sky. With premium spa-grade amenities to relax and recharge, there is no reason to have some fun while working remotely.

Where to now?

Whatever or wherever you call “anywhere,” find your most creative and productive work and lifestyle that allows you to re-mix your travel and holiday. The time is now.