A report by Virgin Holidays has revealed that people aren’t enjoying holidays as much as they used to be due to the fact that work obsessed Brits are incapable of switching off from their jobs whilst away. As a direct response to these findings, Virgin Holidays has launched ‘Disconnection Therapy for Holidaymakers’, to help people enjoy their time away without stressing about the office.
The report reveals that over half - 56% - of those questioned admitted to contacting the office whilst abroad, while 40% head off with suitcases packed with work items including documents to read by the pool, PDAs and laptops. 38% actually admitted visiting an internet café or using their personal computer equipment to check work emails.
The report also uncovered that 29% of those questioned admitted to becoming irritated by their partners constant discussions relating to work while away, forcing a quarter (26 per cent) of partners to beg their other half to quit the shoptalk. In fact, work is regarded as the main cause for holiday bust ups due to the fact that partners won’t switch off from work.
The ‘Disconnection Therapy for Holidaymakers’ programme, featuring life coach guru Pete Cohen in a series of six short downloadable films, is available to view and download at www.virginholidays.com/disconnect. These coach people through how to leave their work worries behind, fight the temptation to contact the office, manage the anxiety they feel about being ‘disconnected’ and make the most of time with loved ones.
Andrew Shelton, spokesperson for Virgin Holidays said: “As one of the leading tour operators in the UK we are committed to providing our customers with amazing holiday experiences. To help people enjoy their holiday to its fullest we have teamed with celebrity life coach Peter Cohen and are offering our customers a value added service in order to help individuals disconnect from work and everyday stress allowing them to full enjoy their time abroad."
Pete Cohen said: “We all need to use holidays as a time to reconnect and invest in our most important relationships in order to restore our work/life balance and put the fun back into going away. While lots of people go on holiday, many are not actually taking a holiday. It is vital we learn how to reprioritise and put work into a healthy perspective.”