More travelers are discovering newfound ways to take the reins on their life in 2022, especially after a trying past couple of years. Like the rest of the world, from 2020 to 2021 we steeled ourselves and adapted. Some of these adaptations came in the form of restructuring careers for many. “Bleisure” travel, the quirky portmanteau between business and leisure travel, was at an all-time high during this time. Suddenly everyone wanted to be balancing a laptop on their knees while sipping cocktails at Chaa Creek’s infinity-edge pool. Resorts touted fast Wi-Fi for Zoom-ready meetings or special rates for extended stays. For remote workers, the world was their office, and Belize was the prime choice in where to spend those meeting minutes.
And we didn’t blame them, either.
Who wouldn’t want their Zoom background of turquoise waters and pristine sand to be real? Their work-from-home to convert to work-from-where-you-vacation? The possibilities for an office space teetering on paradise were well within reach in Belize. But as we look back on those two years, it’s easy to see we all were in survival mode. And while working from a Treetop Villa in the jungle screamed remote worker envy, it’s clear travelers are now drawing hard boundaries between work and personal life.
According to Booking.com’s research, 73% percent of travelers will be firmly re-establishing a healthy work-life balance as vacation time itself will be strictly work-free. Perhaps it may be the crushing realization we only have our one dear life to live. Or perhaps we are tired of putting our mental health on the backburner. Either way, wellness is here to stay and there’s no better place to restore your work-life balance than in Belize.
The Art Of the digital detox
The term ‘digital detox’ is far from new. But in 2022 the act may be the saving grace for many searching for holistic wellness. Where in 2021 we became synchronous with our devices, taking calls anywhere in the world, this year will be different. We’ve spent enough time glued to our screens that shirking our phones in favor of a walk in nature sounds delightful. This will be the year we embrace mindfulness, and here at Chaa Creek, the act is almost a given.
The Lodge’s 400-acre nature preserve ensures you develop a newfound appreciation for Mother Nature. Sweeping canopy views and dense tropical rainforest make for an environment ideal for health and wellness. Leave your phone behind when exploring the jungle on horseback. Or postpone work calls to visit the Maya Organic Farm and learn the ancient gardening ways of the Maya. Each experience will be enriched once you remove any distractions from your mental health. In fact, Health and Fitness Travel stated “a dedicated digital detox retreat will help you to press the reset button on your relationship with tech.”
The care and keeping of you
There’s more to restoring your work-life balance than separating your work from pleasure. For instance, making sure both your body and mind are in tip-top shape. Another term that keeps being paraded around is self-care, but at Chaa Creek, we take that term seriously. Our guests’ mental and emotional well-being has always been of utmost priority. A fact that can be seen in the effort we place into our rewarding Hilltop Spa, whose praises keep being sung.
Perched on a hill overlooking the Macal River, the spa offers sweeping canopy views of lush forest and undulating valleys. Get those pesky kinks out of your shoulders and back caused by endless Zoom calls with any of our treatments. Chaa Creek’s massage therapists are knowledgeable professionals guaranteed to put you in harmony with nature cocooning you and yourself. An alfresco massage can only be enhanced by hearing the rustling of broadleaf trees somewhere nearby.
Of course, the Belize Spa isn’t the only venue to nurture your wellbeing back to health. Holistic wellness is exactly that – making sure you as a whole are your best self. This means your mind must be positively stimulated in more than one way. Challenge the mundane and explore all the eccentricities Belize has to offer. A great way to do this is by venturing out of your comfort zone. Try soaring through the jungles through ziplining, or explore the spooky, underground caves of the ancient Maya. For a lens into a world outside your own, partake in a drumming session with the vibrant Garifuna culture. Or learn how to make authentic tortillas at our hands-on Open Hearth food experience. The possibilities are endless.
Find the Balance in Everything
At the end of the day, there’s more to life than plugging hours away at a desk job. There are fry jacks to try, kinkajous to spot, waterfalls to rappel down, and blue holes to dive into. In other words, there’s Belize to explore. Give her a chance, and you just might find work comes and goes, but memories last a lifetime. To help you plan a work-free vacation, give our friends a call at US: +1-877-709-8708.