Travel Is Good For Your Mental Health For These Five Reasons

When I hear "travel," what is the first thing that comes to mind for you? A vacation? meeting fresh faces? Or maybe stunning sunsets for Instagram? Even while it might be thrilling and exciting, travelling involves much more than just sipping margaritas on a beach in the sun.

It's no secret that travel is beneficial for your physical health, but a large body of scientific evidence indicates that seeing a new area can also be quite beneficial for your mental and emotional health.

Here are five scientifically proven ways that travelling is good for your mind:

1. It's a fantastic stress reliever. 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 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 encourages happiness and aids in distracting the mind from difficult situations. Lower cortisol levels result from this, which makes you feel more at ease and content. Greenberg continues, "It also aids in our reflection on our own personal objectives and pursuits." In a 2013 study, more than 80% of the Americans who participated reported experiencing considerable reductions in stress within a day or two after travelling. "I know I'm the calmest and most peaceful when I travel, even though I'm always busy when I go, whether it's sightseeing, shooting photos, or just exploring a destination on foot,"

2. It aids in self-reinvention. A long stretch of road might tell you more about yourself than a hundred years of silence, according to author Patrick Rothfuss. You can assess and reinvent your life with experiential travel, especially to a foreign nation.
Additionally, the priceless lessons you pick up along the way broaden your viewpoint and help you become more conscious and receptive to new experiences. Verdegaal says, "I appreciate seeing countries with diverse cultures because it makes you reflect on your own. "Different is just different; it's not better or worse. But having to deal with these discrepancies forces me to reconsider my own ideals and values and, on occasion, alter them," the seasoned traveller continues.
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. Wilson, who started travelling "out of dread of relapsing," says he felt quite alone and lost a lot of confidence. I discovered a new zest for life through travel and interaction with the globe. Even when I wasn't feeling well, I persuaded myself to travel. She says, "It has made me a strong, independent woman and gave me satisfaction and a purpose.

3. It raises pleasure and happiness. Travelling allows you to escape from the daily grind in addition to the apparent benefits of not having to go to work (and eating pizza for breakfast). Your brain is rewired as a result of the new experiences and events, which lifts your mood and confidence. "In my opinion, most people are not meant to be confined to one location for the whole of their life.

4. It strengthens your mental fortitude. You can become more emotionally and psychologically tough by moving to a place where you simultaneously feel excited and intimidated.

5. It boosts imagination. According to Columbia Business School professor Adam Galinsky, experiencing a foreign country's local culture firsthand (such as taking part in a "snake boat" race in southern India or eating crispy tarantulas in Cambodia) improves your cognitive flexibility. Additionally, it improves "depth and integrativeness of mind," which increases creativity. Numerous research on 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.