Travelling could be an excellent healer of the mind. It can be a real booster for mental health.
When the daily routine of life and job seems to be getting boring, you could begin to think of travelling. Perhaps you appreciate visiting a particular location once a year, or perhaps you prefer to go to different locations. Your physical and emotional health might benefit significantly from getting out and travelling. Exploring new cultures while travelling is mentally stimulating. Your mental health may be significantly impacted by doing this frequently.
Having new experiences is essential for your mental health and for the way your brain works. Travel has been shown to be very much impactful with the symptoms of sadness and anxiety. Travelling can have a significant impact on your mental health, whether you’re visiting a foreign country or taking a long weekend getaway in a neighbouring city, or going out all alone for a quick walk. The favourable health impacts of travel have, however, been the subject of many studies, and the results are pretty astounding.
Many of us develop strong ties with our familiar social networks of friends, family, and workplaces. But when you travel, you eventually run into strangers who might not look, act, or speak as you do or the people in your regular social group. Even if you simply go a few hours from home, travelling gives us fantastic opportunities to learn about different cultures and ways of life. When you travel, spend some time listening to and connecting with new people. Then, carry those life lessons and communication skills back with you.
It’s healthy for everyone to travel to different areas. A vacation may be the most excellent remedy if your daily life is stressing you out. Taking a trip can enhance your mental health by:
- Utilizing vacation time to travel relieves stress that has been building up at work. Your mind can rest and mend if the strain and stress of your job life are reduced. Working under pressure strains your mind and body and is bad for your physical health.
- Travel can lower the risk of depression. According to mental health professionals, there is evidence that links happiness and travel. Experiencing new and exciting things can be uplifting for some tourists. Travelling, even if it’s just for a few days and closer to home than you’d like, can uplift your mood, enhance your sleep, lower your stress levels, and, in general, make you better if you’re able to do it.
- Regular travel can improve your mental health if you make the time for it. Regular travel to new locations can enhance the advantages of vacations. Some people continue to benefit from their vacation up to five weeks after returning.
- Your memory and goal-setting skills suffer if you experience persistent stress. When you return to work after taking some time off, you may feel more productive and focused. This is due to the fact that your brain needs to rest.
- Your creativity may be increased by leaving the house and seeing the world. More frequent travellers have a more comprehensive range of ideas. Better problem-solving abilities have been associated with exposure to diverse cultures, establishing foreign friends, learning new languages, and enjoying various forms of music and cuisine. You gain a new perspective on the world when you travel.
An individual’s mental health is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “a state of well-being in which he or she realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the usual demands of life, can work productively, and is able to contribute to his or her community.” To live a fulfilled life, mental wellness is unquestionably essential.
From less frequent disorders like bipolar disorder to more frequent ones like sadness and anxiety, there are many different types of mental illnesses. It has also been suggested that mental disease can result in physical illness. However, many continue to erroneously ignore the importance of mental health. Both physical and mental health are essential, and both need active maintenance.
Travel is a terrific way to keep your mind healthy and, as a result, it makes your life happier and more rewarding. You can try new things and meet new people when you travel, which might help you break the routine. Travel brings people together and offers chances to discover new and various cultures, which might help you develop more empathy for other people. Additionally, it can help you become more tolerant generally, lessen bias, and even feel less frustrated. Walking, trekking and skiing in beautiful places are activities that might boost your optimism.
It has been hypothesised that a wide range of circumstances can impair steady mental health while travelling and those few risk factors of travelling are:
- A disruption of routines and delays in transportation.
- Being cut off from friends and relatives.
- Unfamiliar surroundings and the presence of strangers
- Language difficulties.
- Changes in time zones and lack of sleep.
- Drug and alcohol abuse.
- Physical illness while travelling.
- Culture Shock and a feeling of loneliness.
Like every coin, travelling has also its both sides but despite that, if we carefully take notes of the bad sides, we can fully enjoy travelling, and we can get benefited from it. You feel joyful while you’re travelling to a far destination or walking in a park nearby your house. Take a look at your bucket list or ask yourself and give your mind a nice treat.
Also Read: Why social media tops in influencing tourist’s bucket list
(Purbasha Palit is a student of Journalism and Mass Communication from Amity University.)
(Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the author’s and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Partnersincrave.com. Unless otherwise noted, the author is writing in his/her personal capacity. They are not intended and should not be thought to represent official ideas, attitudes, or policies of any agency or institution.)
