Travelling is fun indeed. What is the very first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘Travel’? Is it a vacation with your friends at your dream spot? Or meeting new, enthusiastic people, perhaps? What about sitting on a sun-soaked beach in Australia and sipping margaritas? While travelling to distant places can be real fun, it is way more than just a pleasant experience.
This won’t be ‘the news’ if I told you that travel has great impacts on your health; it can do wonders for your emotional and mental health at the same time (backed by various scientific researches).
The following are 7 proven ways travel is good for your mental health:
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Travelling enhances your ability to be spontaneous in life.
There is a thing called ‘going on a vacation’ and there is ‘travelling’. If you think that there hardly is any difference between both, let me tell you they are not the same. Well, going on a vacation means you have a limited time to enjoy and you’re coming back soon, whereas travelling entails spontaneous planning to go to some place.
Think of a situation wherein you’re exploring a local market on your way to a museum at a distant place. Or, you meet with someone in your hotel and they invite you to join them on their trip to an ancient castle. These are the moments when you learn to live spontaneously.
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Travelling makes you learn to communicate with strangers.
You get to interact with a lot of new people while on a trip regardless of whether you are travelling with your friends, colleagues, family or are off solo. You get to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds, and you learn certain things from them. This certainly broadens your view about strangers and of the world as a whole.
You may also get the courage to talk to the stranger next-door who recently shifted to your neighbourhood.
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Travelling lowers your stress level and makes you feel alive again.
Various researchers have explained that travelling plays a key role in one’s life by reducing stress levels and incorporating personal happiness. When you travel to your favourite location, it seems like you have all the free time in the world. You even forget about a delayed bus or flight and start feeling happy as soon as your board it. What if you find the person sitting next to you funny? The journey becomes much more than fun. In fact, talking to a complete stranger for hours may even help you get a break from the monotonous rut of your daily life and make you feel alive once again.
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Travelling refreshes your mood and boosts your confidence.
Taking a break from your daily life for some time and travelling to distant places boosts self-confidence. Travelling is more like a long process of self-learning and you get to be a participant who researches about and reflects on his own learning and self-awareness.
When you travel alone, you’re not dependent on anyone. You get to make your own decisions that might be sudden and completely unexpected. Similar experiences in life bring your independent self in action and you naturally feel more confident about yourself.
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Travelling always helps you know yourself better than ever.
You get to experience certain things when you travel, which you can never imagine experiencing at home. The choices you make for yourself when you’re self-dependent make you what you should really be – independent. When you acknowledge such experiences and make choices accordingly, you get to know yourself better.
Believe it or not, travelling can actually help you lose yourself. And, this lost space can help0 you find your hidden capabilities too. You become way too different than you would ever be if you never travelled alone.
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Travelling occasionally helps you relax both physically and mentally.
I don’t think there is a need to remind you how much you enjoyed your last trip with your college friends. Recall the experience you and your friends had when you travelled together to your favourite spot and see whether it brings a smile on your face.
When any of your friends plans a trip to some place you always wanted to visit, you get excited and there is no doubt about it. It feels like somebody has injected excitement in your blood and you forget how stressful your life might usually be. Researchers suggest taking a break from work every six months can help you improve your physical and mental health.
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Travelling helps you shift your perspective and feel confident about it.
When you take a break from work, irrespective of your travel plan, a family get-together or your own marriage, holidays bring happiness – specifically when you have a busy schedule at work. It is more about you taking a break and realising who you really are. Travelling to your hometown once a year brings a big smile to your face, as you think about meeting your family and friends after such a long time. You experience a change in daily life and adapt new habits. Some of these habits replace the old ones. And, your perspective on different things changes when you get back to your old life with those new habits. You feel energetic and more confident.
Final Words!
Anyone can travel, no matter their physical abilities. Travelling is a real fun with a group of close friends; it becomes even more exciting and adventurous when you go solo. You get to be independent and can make your own decision during the whole trip, which, eventually, boosts your confidence. You get to meet new people, have your own little adventure and witness the real beauty of life in your own, unique way. Your experiences bring changes into your life and make you meet your real, independent self. So, plan your next trip soon and rediscover yourself. Who knows what surprises life might have for you?
