Taking a trip is about more than just pictures for Instagram. Discover the lasting benefits of travel for your mental and physical health.
Last updated: 17th July 2021
The restrictions on travelling in 2020 have hit us all hard.
Sure, we’ve always had to organise our trips around daily responsibilities, jobs and finances. But there was always a destination which worked, and a trip we could look forward to.
So why has the inability to travel hit us so hard? Isn’t travel just a luxury?
The last few months have shown this is far from the whole story.
In fact, this period has helped us to realise the health benefits of travel extend far beyond the opportunity to see new sights and snap some awesome pics.
Let’s dive into the reasons and scientific facts why travel is so beneficial for our body and mind, and why we’ve missed it so much.
Mental Health Benefits of Travel
1. Travel reduces our stress levels
“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”
Getting caught up in the hamster wheel of life can take its toll on the mind.
Careers, income, bills and every other aspect that fill our mindspace can leave little time for relaxation, or the things in life that make us truly happy.
Sometimes, the only way to recharge and gain perspective is to change that environment – and when neglecting your mental health could lead to burnout, depression, and various other challenges, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Travel can be crucial in helping us see the bigger picture, and understanding that our happiness and productivity depends on our mental health.
2. Create memorable moments for lasting happiness
How do you feel when daydreaming about times you’ve spent abroad? Or reminiscing with the friends you had awesome experiences with?
There is a scientific reason to partly explain why travel makes us so happy – dopamine.
This right balance of dopamine, activated when something unexpectedly good happens to us, is a vital part of physical and mental wellbeing. In fact, low levels of dopamine have been linked to numerous mental health issues like depression.
So travelling is not just something we should do to treat ourselves – experiencing and remembering these moments scientifically makes us happier and healthier.
Practices like mindfulness can especially help us to better appreciate what we have, and make the most of those valuable trips.
Because there is no point paying to go on a beautiful beach holiday if you don’t actually take the time to make the most of it.
3. Make lifelong friends in every city
The people you encounter while travelling can often become the best part of your trip, and the most valuable souvenir after you get home.
Connecting with people from cultures different to your own can be extremely rewarding for your personal growth:
- Gain a new perspective.
- Improve your communication skills.
- Share an awesome experience.
- Spent time with someone you can relate to
Each person in the world has unique value to offer others. By meeting as many people as you can, you both enrich others and broaden your own mind.
4. Prevent and treat burnout and depression
Burnout and depression are states of emotional or physical exhaustion which have huge impacts on your daily life.
This feeling of extreme fatigue is the exact reason it’s so difficult to break free… and so important to prevent.
All of the health benefits of travel listed above and below contribute to making burnout and depression less likely.
Maybe you find happiness in encountering like-minded people, enjoying the present moment or escaping the struggles of daily life keeps your stress level from overflowing.
Travelling may sometimes seem like a luxury, but can also be a game-changer for your health.
“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind“
Physical Health Benefits of Travel
5. Makes you more physically fit
In order to make the most of visiting new places, you just have to be active. Waking up early, lots of walking and stairs are all a minimum requirement.
Visiting London for example may involve lots of standing on public transport. More scenic experiences may require more effort – a day trek up a mountain may have your legs burning and your pride bruised, but when you make it to the top it all becomes worth it.
In fact, overcoming physical challenges usually makes the experience that bit more memorable.
By staying active, you’ll also feel slightly better about all the delicious local food you are trying to fit into 3 meals a day. You’ll even have a bigger appetite because of the exertion!
Cue a food coma after 3 days…
6. Travel reduces the risk of heart disease
It’s a scientific fact: going on holiday is literally good for your heart.
When we consider the bigger picture, we really shouldn’t be surprised that an activity which has all of these benefits (helps de-stress, encourages exercise) results in a considerable health benefit.
According to various studies, “the odds of having metabolic syndrome decreased by 24% with each additional vacation taken. The number of vacations taken by participants in the last year ranged from 0 to 15.”
In a nutshell, the more you’ve gone on holiday, the smaller your chance of heart disease. So good things aren’t always bad for you…
Benefits of Travel for Personal Growth
7. Travel broadens your mind
The environment you grow up in shapes how you think. It affects your view of politics, food and many other aspects of life.
When you travel, your brain receives new information at a frantic rate and that view of the norm is often challenged.
This is why people say “travel broadens your mind“.
Most of us welcome this challenge. Your experiences abroad add vivid detail and understanding to previously unfamiliar parts of the world.
New sights, smells and sounds all spark healthy activity and new connections in your brain.
In essence, you grow as an individual. You have a deeper and more varied pool of knowledge.
Maybe you even learn something new about your own capabilities.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
8. How travel boosts your creativity
The definition of creativity is “the use of imagination or original ideas to create something”.
The greater your range of personal experiences, the more “inspiration” you have to inform your own ideas.
Adam Galinsky of Columbia Business School proved this connection – creative directors from 270 of the world’s top fashion houses were found to consistently produce more innovative fashion lines if they had spent significant time abroad.
Notably, Galinsky mentions the importance of leaving your comfort zone and engaging with the local culture to really reap the creative benefits.
So maybe avoid the temptation to go on a city break to somewhere magical like Venice and then spend all your time in Starbucks (we’ve all caved at one point…).
9. Become more confident and independent
Leaving your comfort zone and traveling to a new place is pretty stressful.
In fact it can be totally overwhelming – especially if you are not completely comfortable managing all the logistics, or maybe have some form of anxiety.
How to get from A to B on-time and safely, how to meet new people – the challenges are many and the stakes feel enormous.
But by continuously having to trust in your own ability to make these decisions, you’ll find your confidence grows and discomfort eases.
After all, you’ve been in this position before.
Maybe you discover your own best tips for getting to the airport on time, or finding the best restaurants.
In this way, travelling provides the perfect environment for becoming independent with no compromises.
Either you take on the opportunity for personal growth, or miss out on the journey completely.
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