The 11 psychological benefits of traveling
Who doesn't enjoy a good trip to a city he's never been to? Traveling is a great motivation, as well as a source of joy, reflection and self-discovery. Traveling allows us to explore new climates and cultures, immerse ourselves in them and stimulate our minds.
Obviously, there are other people who prefer monotony and being comfortable in their home. But the truth is that travel fever has been on the rise in recent decades. Television, cinema and the internet have opened a window to other parts of the world, unique places that attract our attention. The fact that prices have been falling, allowing more people to move around the globe, has also played a role in this travel boom.
Psychological benefits for travelers
There is an extensive scientific literature on the psychological and emotional benefits of the good habit of traveling. Sure, some of these benefits can be quite intuitive, but It never hurts for science to investigate and discover the ins and outs that travel causes in our psyche.
Science has spoken
Without going any further, a study that was published in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that the feeling of Happiness is found in the register of memories and experiences relevant to us, and whose maximum expression is the travels.
Other research indicates a clear correlation between being a traveler and longevity. Although this could be due to a socioeconomic factor (and therefore would be a spurious correlation), it also seems to have detected something like a traveling gene. The fact of traveling to different parts of the planet is not by itself a factor that explains a greater longevity, But the psychological benefits of the experiences acquired during travel do seem clear. These yes can improve our quality of life and ultimately lengthen the number of days we live.
Every kind of trip is positive
When researchers talk about travel, they are very clear about it: all types of travel are positive for the psychological health of those who undertake it. From nearby destinations to trips to remote and exotic places, all trips can be a great source of emotional well-being. It is not necessary neither to go very far, nor to spend a lot of money, nor to practice any specific activity: all trips “add up”.
However, and of course, there are trips that report much more interesting experiences than others. Anyway, all the experiences that we live outside the home can be very positive to stimulate our mind. Each person has preferences when it comes to adventures, and it depends on many factors, such as personality, age and other variables.
Requirements for a trip to change our lives
Many people confess to their friends, assuring them that a trip they made literally changed their lives. It's true, travel sometimes destroys many of our thought schemes and they make us see beyond, opening us to new worlds and possibilities that we did not even contemplate before.
Some of the requirements for a trip to be a kind of 'reset' of our mind are the following:
- The trip was made unaccompanied or with a group of unknown individuals until that moment.
- The trip represented a challenge of a spiritual nature.
- The culture of the country or region visited was substantially different to the traveler's own culture.
- They were rather long trips, of more than 2 weeks.
If you have ever had a existential crisisYou may have noticed that sometimes we need a change in our daily dynamics. In this sense, traveling can help us regain faith in ourselves and even overcome bad times.
The 11 psychological benefits of traveling
There are surely many more than eleven, but in today's article we will list the 11 most important benefits of the good habit of traveling and seeing the world.
1. Reduce stress and anxiety
Stress is the pandemic of the 19th century in western countries. The demands of work, the rush and the frenetic pace of life cause us a latent discomfort that, sooner or later, manifests itself through stressful situations. We can't stop thinking about our obligations, tomorrow's meetings or the uncertainty work that haunts us, and we forget to enjoy the present and the small pleasures of the lifetime.
However, when we go on a journey, we disconnect from all these daily anguish and we focus on living in the present, relaxing in the pool, visiting paradisiacal beaches, moving us with the beauty of the landscapes... We focus on the moment and we are not pending any meeting or complying with routines labor.
To know more: "10 essential tips to reduce stress"
2. Boost your ability to solve problems
Throughout a journey, we force ourselves out of our comfort zone and we must face certain situations and contexts that require greater involvement. You will live certain experiences in which you must make decisions and solve problems.
It is likely that you get lost in the streets that you do not know, that you go to the places in time and that you have to communicate with locals who do not speak your language. In summary, throughout the odyssey you will have to solve various problems and complicated situations that will arise, and this will help you to improve this ability.
3. Increase your communication and social skills
If you've always wanted to meet new people and make friends, you should bear in mind that traveling gives you the best opportunity to connect with other people. Being in an unfamiliar place, it is very likely that you will be encouraged to talk to people and thus develop your social skills.
Do not worry if during the first few days it is difficult for you to talk to people you meet on the road. Once you have passed the scenic environment, you will surely be able to meet exceptional people who will give meaning to your experience. Until you may make friends and come back after a while to visit them, or receive them in your own home.
Recommended article: "Guide to meeting new people: sites, skills and tips"
4. Open your mind and broaden your horizons
Traveling is the best solution to get rid of stereotypes and prejudices. In fact, you often hear that "traveling is the best cure against racism." Prejudices make us suspicious of people for irrational reasons, and take us away from the possibility of connecting with new people.
When we are on an expedition to a new culture, we will realize that some of these thoughts were unfounded. We will discover new people and customs that deserve our appreciation, helping us to open our minds and to relate in a kinder way with all kinds of people.
5. Promotes self-discovery
Taking an exciting trip is the best way to know yourself. We temporarily leave our daily context and visit a totally different environment, which can help us gain perspective on who we are and what we want in life.
In addition, traveling can give us a new vital focus, discovering things that we did not know we liked.
6. Makes you happier
The experiences we live during travel make us secrete different hormones of happiness, such as endorphins. When we are away from home we forget work and family worries and obligations. During a trip we carry out activities that we like and that encourage us to interact with other people.
All this works in favor of our psychological well-being.
7. It takes you away from fear and insecurities
The afraid it is a sensation that paralyzes us. And, as many experts claim, the best way to overcome fears is by facing them. Once we become aware that fears are only in our head, little by little we are relativizing them and banishing them.
Surely, before embarking on a trip to a distant and unknown destination you have fears and insecurities such as: "Am I going to feel alone?" And even, depending on the destination you choose, you may feel that you risk being robbed on the street or not being able to understand people if you have any problem.
The reality is that exposing ourselves to fears is the best way to overcome them. Many people have gone on a trip before and only a minority have something serious happened to them. Give yourself the opportunity to get to know a new culture and you will overcome your insecurities.
8. It makes you rethink many things
Spending time away from home can broaden your outlook and life in general. Your priorities may change, that from now on you give less importance to material things and values plus other things that you did not value before.
9. It encourages you to be more empathetic
Change the context and immerse yourself in a new city and a culture until now unknown offers you the possibility of relativizing your daily problems and putting yourself in the shoes of other people that, perhaps, they have a much more complicated life than yours.
This can encourage you to be more empathic and that you are able to appreciate that other people may have different value systems.
10. You learn constantly
Live unique experiences in environments other than those we are used to they provide us with learning and knowledge that improves us as people. It gives us another vision about things, about relationships, about religion, about the way in which different cultures deal with life.
In addition, the habit of traveling provides us with the tools so that we can question our day-to-day life, and our most deeply rooted values. Knowing new things empowers us skills and abilities that we had latent, and develops our critical spirit.
11. Develop your vision of things and broaden horizons
Travel and discover new countries and cultures broadens our vision of society. It makes us more respectful and flexible, since we learn to value the needs and thought patterns of the people we meet.