Why Vacations & Travel are Essential for Good Mental Health
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It’s no secret that we live in a high-pressure world nowadays, filled with demanding work & personal schedules, social media expectations, personal struggles and…uh, can Covid be done already please?! All of these things combined have a way of negatively impacting our mental health if we never allow ourselves to take a break.
It’s also true that in today’s climate, making time for a vacation can be difficult. However, the positive effects of travel are nothing short of amazing!
Vacations Make You Healthier & Happier
Multiple studies have found that travel helps decrease the risk of heart disease and depression and benefits our brain health. Getting outside of our comfort zone to experiencing new people and places allows us to grow mentally, feel more reflective, reevaluate our goals and enjoy the time in our life.
Having something to look forward to when you make travel plans creates happiness and excitement. When you take a vacation, pressure and stress are alleviated and your mental health is positively increased.
Vacations Reduce Stress
It should come as no surprise that taking a vacation helps minimize our stress levels. We always look forward to the time away from work to do something for ourselves and as much as we all love a comfortable off-day at home, traveling has an affect of days like this by tenfold. Vacations take our minds away from the day-to-day hustle we live in and give us a space to relax and recharge.
When you’re traveling and exploring new scenery you’re rarely thinking of all the things on your plate back home and you’re genuinely able to turn off the stresses and triggers that often cause you stress. Taking time to travel is similar to taking a step back from a troubling situation in order to look at the bigger picture. You can spend valuable time fueling yourself and your mind, then return home with a fresh perspective.
Vacations Increase your Creativity
Getting out and exploring the world can boost your creativity. Exposure to new cultures, surroundings, people, languages, food and music can help you grow problem-solving skills and also allows you to think outside of your current box.
Traveling lets you see the world in a new way opens your mind and creates a stress-free space to come up with diverse ideas!
Vacations Make You Resilient
Planning a vacation can take a lot of, well…planning. For some of us the idea of planning all the little details seems stress-inducing and counterproductive from the relaxing goal we’re trying to achieve, but changing the way you see these hurdles can make all the difference.
The world around us doesn’t stop throwing curveballs just because we’re hitting pause. Traveling can come with delays, unforeseen expenses, frustrating moving parts if traveling with others, getting lost, etc. Taking control of your mindset when these struggles occur can turn things around and make you feel powerful and resilient.
Figuring out how to navigate through a new city, understanding a new form of transportation, and overcoming the challenges you face on your travels can give you a very strong sense of accomplishment.
For example, when I was in London I was late leaving with the group (anyone who knows me will understand that one…I’m late every second of my life) and had to figure out how to get to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on my own — totally stressful on day 2 in town. I had to figure out the Tube app, what stops I take to get to mine, what even was my stop and where to go from my stop. Even with my directions, I still managed to get off one stop too early and had to wander a few extra blocks and ask for help (Note to self: pay for international internet service, you will use it!)
As I stumbled my way to my destination I noticed how beautiful the space I wandered through really was. I felt a sense of calm wash over while exploring on my own and once I saw the Globe Theatre I felt so accomplished! That time is still one of my favorite moments to look back on from my trip and showed me you can still learn important life skills on vacation.
When dealing with stressful moments (traveling & in every-day life) I think back on that situation often and keep that sense of accomplishment in my mind knowing I am capable and resourceful.
These lessons contribute to important life skills that will serve you well during the trip and upon your return.
Vacations Help You Connect with Others
Traveling to new places brings you into contact with new people you might have never met and is mentally stimulating.
Vacations offer us the wonderful opportunity to meet new people and embrace new cultures and not just in different countries. You can experience all of these new surroundings by only traveling a few hours outside of your home.
Throughout my life, some of the best people I’ve met, and still know till this day, were the ones I met while traveling: servers and bartenders, other visitors at the venues I went to, local shop owners.
Take time to listen and connect with others, be open to new people, then bring those communication skills back home with you. These interactions are important life lessons dressed up as fun experiences which can help us grow.
Vacations Don’t Have to be Extravagant
You don’t have to hop on a plane to Europe to feel the benefits of traveling. A day trip or quick weekend getaway can offer you valuable insight and release, as well.
Go where you want to go! You can make your travel plans big or small. They don’t have to be expensive or exotic for you to get the most mental health benefits from them.
Take a look at cities within a few hours from you, search some cheap flights to neighboring states and create a bucket list of destinations you’d like to visit. I love scrolling through Southwest’s Vacations page to include a Flight + Hotel or their low-fare sales from $59. I’ll just scroll through and see what cities are the cheapest from my location and can have a great weekend getaway for under $200.
Finally,
Taking vacations and traveling to new places can result in amazing mental health benefits. Travel provides a healthier, more satisfying life, but it doesn’t guarantee it. If you’re feeling anxious or depressed and need help, you should talk to a mental health professional. They can help you find the right treatment.
Find a place and time that works best for your next trip and see how rewarding your next trip can be when you stop to realize how many benefits you can truly enjoy!
Thanks & we wish you the best,
Let’s Do BetterTogether!