When I mention “travel,” what is the first thing that springs to mind? Vacation? Getting to know new people? Perhaps Instagram can sunsets? While traveling may be thrilling and adventurous, it is much more than drinking margaritas on a sun-kissed beach.
Travel is obviously beneficial to your physical health, but a growing body of scientific evidence shows that discovering a new location may also benefit your mental and emotional health.
Here are five studies that show how traveling makes your mind happy and healthy:
It’s a great stress buster
According to Dr. Tamara McClintock Greenberg, a clinical psychologist with a practice in San Francisco and the author of Psychodynamic Perspectives on Aging and Illness, “the strain of the job and daily expectations can divert us from what we find to be truly significant and intriguing.” Therefore, taking a vacation from the everyday commotion is necessary for your mind to unwind, replenish, and regenerate.
What better way to accomplish this than to pack your bags and travel to places that will make you yearn for adventure? Traveling promotes happiness and helps to divert one’s attention away from stressful situations. Lower cortisol levels ensue, making you feel more at ease and content.
It helps you reinvent yourself
The important lessons you pick up along the way enlarge your viewpoint and help you become more aware and receptive to new experiences. Traveling to locations with diverse cultures makes me happy because it makes me reflect on my own, adds Vederala. But having to deal with these discrepancies forces me to reconsider my own ideals and values and, on occasion, alter them,” the seasoned traveler continues.
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If you’re healing from a significant transition in your life, exploring new areas can also give you a new beginning. “For several years when I had Lyme illness, my world shrunk. I lost pals who were unable to take care of a sick friend.
It increases fulfillment and contentment.
In addition to the obvious benefits of not having to go to work, travelling allows you to escape from the daily grind (and eating pizza for breakfast). As a result of new experiences and events, your brain is rewired, which improves your mood and confidence. Most individuals, in my opinion, are not supposed to be restricted to one region for the rest of their lives.
Wilson concurs, saying “Travel definitely makes me happy.” Wilson claims that even the act of planning a trip makes him happy since it offers him something to look forward to. It turns out that she’s not the only one who has those feelings. A Cornell University study found that looking forward to a trip might significantly boost your happiness.
It makes you mentally resilient
Moving to a place where you feel both excited and afraid can help you grow more emotionally and psychologically tough.” I never imagined myself doing a solo trip around the world when I was younger. However, I currently spend a large portion of my time travelling alone. I adore it as well! Vederala of Urban Pixels claims that “It’s never as frightening or dangerous as you make it in your head.
The travel expert continues, it can also help you handle “bigger challenges in life with more grace and patience.” One of the worst things that ever happened to me while traveling was being robbed of a ton of money and my passport the day before I was scheduled to take off.
It fosters creativity.
Additionally, it improves “depth and integrative Ness of thought,” which increases creativity. Numerous research the relationship between creativity and global travel are written by Galinsky. It’s crucial to remember, though, that experiencing new cultures only fosters creativity when you immerse yourself in them. It won’t do to merely travel to a different city or nation.
Long-term travel also enhances productivity and problem-solving abilities, and it may even boost your chances of getting promoted at work!
And finally, how can you benefit from the trip after you’ve returned?
According to Greenberg, a clinician, “I encourage people to hold on to components of a trip experience or vacation that was enjoyable.” For instance, she says, “if you liked the food in Paris, learn to prepare French food to recreate some of the sentiments you had while you were on vacation.” “Remembering tranquil moments, you had while on vacation and making an effort to recall what was different from your current life is another behavioral intervention. Perhaps you made the effort to eat breakfast, or perhaps you worked out.