9 Reasons Why Travel is Good for your Mental Health
Among the many reasons to travel, some of the best are the mental health benefits. No matter where you live, what you do for a living, or your relationship or financial status, daily life can become stressful and monotonous. Traveling offers a wonderful escape from that, allowing you to refresh and reset your mind, and ultimately decrease stress. Think of it as a really cool, fun form of self-care (because it is!).
The best part? You can reap these mental health benefits of traveling whether you take one vacation a year or several shorter ones, and whether you visit a brand new destination or one that's familiar to you!
Benefits of planning travel on mental health
We already know that travel has a long list of mental health benefits. But what if we told you that planning travel — or even just thinking about it — is associated with a lot of those same benefits? In fact, in many ways, travel planning can be just as enjoyable as actually taking a trip!
The art of anticipation
Anticipating a trip is shown to substantially increase a person's happiness. When you think about it, this makes perfect sense: if you have something concrete to look forward to a couple of months or even a year or more down the road, day-to-day responsibilities seem a bit more tolerable. So if you're looking for a sign to book a trip, here it is!
...even during a pandemic
This same principle also applies to trip planning during the pandemic (and maybe even more so!). Life — and certainly the future — can often seem unsure, unpredictable, and downright scary. We know there's a light at the end of the tunnel, but it's easy to lose sight of that at times. Channeling some energy into booking a future trip can counteract that uncertainty and serve as a reminder that better times are just around the corner.
Choose your travel partners wisely
Who you travel with is an important factor that should be taken into consideration. If you have travel partners, whether it be your significant other, family, or a group of friends, it's crucial to share your desires for the trip openly and honestly. Are you hoping for an action-packed, adventurous trip or more of a quiet reprieve? Either way, invite like-minded people and be sure to vocalize your intentions so everyone is on the same page.
Go with the flow
No matter who you travel with or how much careful planning you do, it's important to keep in mind that travel requires some level of going with the flow. Things won't always go exactly according to plan, you may have to make compromises within your travel group, and experiences may not necessarily match expectations. Keep an open mind, be willing to "roll with it" when things change unexpectedly.
Benefits of travel for mental health
Traveling to new destinations gives you new experiences and allows you to make unforgettable memories. There are several clear benefits to traveling regardless of what your travel style is, but when you take a look at the mental health benefits, there are even more reasons to book that vacation.
Travel is a stress buster
One of the biggest and most obvious benefits of travel for mental health is reducing stress. Having a very literal escape from daily stress including work and other responsibilities has a calming, soothing effect and can decrease overall stress levels. Of course, less stress overall has a domino effect on other health factors. Being calmer improves sleep quality, keeps you in a better mood, sharpens your focus, boosts your immune system (which means you get sick less often!), and can even help you manage your weight.
Push the reset button
Traveling allows you to fully "reset." Again, no matter what type of lifestyle you lead, your day-to-day life can become monotonous over time — even if you have a family or career you absolutely love and hobbies that keep you busy. We tend to hold onto stress, allowing it to accumulate over time, bogging us down both mentally and physically. It can be extremely difficult to break that cycle, but travel is one of the few things that allows us to do exactly that. The effects of this "reset" don't necessarily fade away the moment you get home from vacation, either. Some evidence suggests that vacationers often feel the positive effects of their trip for as many as five weeks afterward.
Get those creative juices flowing
Aside from the fact that travel has a natural calming effect and allows your brain to reset, it also exposes you to a wide range of ideas, cultures, people, food, languages, and landscapes. All of these things combined serve to inspire travelers and really boost their creativity. After all, how could one not feel creative after experiencing so many new things and places?
Enhanced well-being
We already touched on how travel can reduce stress and even improve your health — both mental and physical. Another way it can strengthen your overall well-being is by boosting your self-confidence. Traveling gets you out of your comfort zone and challenges you in many ways, regardless of where you visit or who you travel with (although you could certainly make the argument that it's even more challenging when you travel solo). This enables you to think more critically, get more in tune with your intuition or "gut feelings," and even sharpen some skills including reading a map and learning a language.
Increases interpersonal growth
Along the same lines, travel has a tremendous impact on maturity and self-development. As your self-confidence and self-sufficiency increase, so does your open-mindedness, empathy, and gratitude. Every new experience you have when traveling, whether it's as simple as trying a new dish or learning a word in a foreign language or something more complex like spending weeks immersed in a different culture, helps you grow. Of course you're learning a lot about the new place and people, but also about yourself — and that is a priceless experience!