We have all heard the saying ‘a change is as good as a rest’ – but is it?
Can travel really help your mental health? Can setting off to foreign climes re charge your batteries, and restore your mental equilibrium. And can this help you to deal better with the challenges of daily life.
Let’s face it running your own business is tough. It’s a job you can never really switch off from. Whatever stage your business is at you will be dealing with issues connected with products or services, cash flow, orders promotions. Recruitment might be your worry or of course, the competition. There’s a lot to think about! While many people thrive on these challenges, sometimes it can all get a bit too much!
Taking yourself out of your immediate environment can really help things if you are feeling stressed about work. Sometimes a stay cation just doesn’t cut the mustard, and you may need to think about going farther afield.
Changing where you are can affect the way you think and the way you see things. When you are reminded that there is a big wide world out there, your immediate problems can be put into perspective.
While traveling can be exciting and exhilarating, it’s so much more than sipping cocktails on a sun-soaked beach. Scientific research suggests that exploring a new place can really help your mental and emotional health as well as your physical being.
Here are four ways traveling makes your mind happy and healthy:
1. It’s a great stress buster.
Traveling promotes happiness and can help you take your mind off stressful situations. This leads to lower cortisol levels, which can make you feel more calm and content. It can definitely have a positive effect on your mental health as you unwind and have new experiences.
“The stress of work and daily demands can distract us from what we find to be actually meaningful and interesting,” says Dr. Tamara McClintock Greenberg, a San Francisco-based clinical psychologist and author of Psychodynamic Perspectives on Aging and Illness. Taking a break from the challenges of the daily routine is essential for your mind to relax, recharge and rejuvenate. “It also helps us reflect on our personal goals and interests,” adds Greenberg.
Travel can boost mental health as it means you are obliged to focus on your trip. You are thinking about where you are going, and what you are going to do when you get there. While you are doing that, your mind is considering new possibilities and you are less likely to be worrying about things back in the workplace.
2. It helps you reinvent yourself.
Really experiencing the way of life in a different country can help you re-evaluate and reinvent your life. Travel can help your mental health as it can make you see things from a new perspective and examine your own principles and values in an instructive way
Exploring new places can also give you a fresh start if you’re recovering from a major transition in your life. Whether it’s illness, loss or emotional trauma, travel can give you that purpose that you may have felt you have lost. I had always wanted to live and work in another country and I got the opportunity to do just that earlier this year and four months in Venice certainly gave me a new perspective on life. I had always wanted to go glamping for instance, and I got the chance to do just that! Luxury camping in Venice
3. It boosts happiness and satisfaction.
Traveling gives you the opportunity to step away from the daily grind. You don’t have to go to work! New events and experiences can help rewire your brain, hence boosting your mood and self-confidence. When you go to a different place, you have the chance to reinvent yourself. Your responsibilities are to yourself and no one else. At least for a while! Ways travel can help your mental health are many, from seeing sites that have always been on your bucket list to trying a brand new activity. When you are travelling you do tend to be outdoors more than you would normally too, and this is also great for mental health and happiness.
4. It makes you mentally resilient.
Going and living somewhere where you feel excited and intimidated at the same time can help you toughen up mentally and emotionally. Facing difficulties in an unfamiliar environment, among new people, forces you to learn and adapt to things that are out of your comfort zone. This can make you more flexible, patient and emotionally strong.
Can travel help your mental health? Yes travel can be stressful and things can go wrong, but if you plan things properly, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Travel really can reset your mental health and give you that creative boost to give you that extra edge when you’re back in the office!
To contact Elaine Wilson to discuss this article or her copywriting and blogging services please email: ewilson1066@gmail.com