Travel is great for morale, seeing new people, new mindsets, new landscapes. Whether you’re traveling for business, a week-long family trip, or have sold everything to live your life on the road, traveling can make you a happier person by building confidence, offering new experiences and memories, breaking the routine, and allowing you to meet people around the world. The pandemic has broken our present, let’s build a better tomorrow filled with unexpected encounters.
Here are 10 reasons to travel that can make you happier.
Reasons why travel makes you happier
1. Confidence in the unexpected
There comes a time when everyone has to deal with an unexpected situation when you are on the road. Even if you plan your trip to the letter, things can take a surprising turn. No matter what happens, there is a way around it and knowing that you can cope is a great boost to your confidence and therefore your happiness.
2. Happiness is contagious
When people are happy, smiling and friendly, it has an immediate effect. Cambodia and Laos, for example, are populated by warm and smiling people, despite the relative poverty of these countries. Faced with these big, beaming smiles, it’s hard to get angry and this side instantly boosts your mood and is a good habit to get into at home.
3. Being away makes you appreciate family and home
Being away from the things we often take for granted (family, friends, home) makes us appreciate them more.
4. Make new friends
It is much easier to make new friends on the road than at home, where people are less likely to chat with strangers on a bus or strike up a conversation in a bar. When people are away from home, there seem to be fewer boundaries to cross and making friends becomes easier. Social interactions make us happier and increasing our social circle means we talk more and meet interesting people.
5. Detox from social media
Social media can be good and bad, but it is healthy for everyone to take a break from the internet from time to time. Wi-fi is so prevalent that it’s hard to turn off, and you can often lose interest in amazing places when you’re face-glued to your phone checking Twitter, scrolling through your Facebook feed, checking email… stop. Turn it off. Better yet, find a place without internet!!!
6. Time for yourself
Travel gives us breathing space that is often lost in our usual day-to-day existence. Having a moment to enjoy peace and quiet and just “being” allows us to let go of stress and tension and just enjoy being in the moment… a key element of meditation and a practice you can take with you.
7. Learning
Whether it is learning a new skill such as cooking Thai food or learning a new language, travel presents ways in which we can deepen our knowledge and culture. Learning makes our brains more active. In fact, psychologists have found an increase in our happiness level: especially when learning something we find enjoyable.
8. The benefits of vitamin D
While it’s a bit of a myth that you have to be on a deck chair for twelve hours to feel the full effects of vitamin D (20 minutes of sun exposure is enough), there’s no doubt that just as the cold and dark of winter makes us sad, the sun and warmth generally put us in a much better mood. A trip to the beach is a great way to relax and enjoy the health benefits of a warm climate. Sure, it’s more of a short-term boost, but a healthy glow will make everyone feel better and it can last for a few weeks after your trip is over.
9. New experiences make for unforgettable moments
For most people, travel isalways a new experience. And recalling travel memories can keep a feeling of contentment long after the moment has passed, and new experiences are memories that can be in your head forever.
10. The effects aren’t just short-term
In addition to making you happier in the short term, travel can also make you happier and more relaxed in the long term. Sure, most travel enthusiasts are constantly planning their next trip, but when we are at home, past trips leave us with memories and personal skills (like self-confidence) that make people happy.
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