Md Altaf Hussain :
Travel is good for lots of things, but it can also increase mental well-being – and not just in the short-term. Whether you’re traveling for business, on a one-week family holiday, or have sold everything to pursue a life on the road, traveling can make you a happier person by building self-confidence, providing new experiences and memories, breaking routine and allowing you to meet people from all over the world.
When life gets on top of us, it can feel like we’re carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. It’s times like this that a holiday or some light travelling can do wonders for our mental health. Travelling has the power to take us out of our routines and gain new experiences, often helping to reduce stress, anxiety and give us back our appreciation for life.
Here are some of the best ways that travelling can improve your mental health:
It helps you reinvent yourself
Immersing yourself in a new culture and interacting with local people increases your brain’s flexibility. This is a good thing according to Adam Galinsky, a Professor at Columbia Business School, because it actually helps increase your creativity. When you think creatively, you are better at solving problems, are more productive and are better identifying new opportunities. The personal growth opportunities on offer when you engage with people of different backgrounds is also priceless. Empathy and tolerance are two of the most valuable interpersonal skills, especially in today’s ‘global’ society. Travel also tends to expose you to new experiences that could turn into your new passion.
Resources for a healthy mind
A centered, healthy mind is important while traveling. With it, you approach the daily change that travel offers with a positive spirit and open heart. You embrace the newness rather than letting fear rule you. When your mind isn’t healthy, that’s harder to do.
If you have peace of mind, when you meet with problems and difficulties they won’t disturb your inner peace. You’ll be able to employ your human intelligence more effectively. But, if your mental state is disturbed, full of emotion, it is very difficult to cope with problems, because the mind that is full of emotion is biased, unable to see reality. So whatever you do will be unrealistic and naturally fail.
Travel expands our horizons
It’s so easy to get stuck inside the bubble of our own communities. We become complacent and accepting of the way things are based on the ways things are around us. Travelling shakes these views up in a huge way. Seeing other cultures, landscapes, cities, foods, it all reminds us that there is so much more out there and so many other ways of doing things.
For better or worse, it allows us to reflect back on the way we live our own life and if this is truly the life we want to live. Travel inspires people to make big changes in their lives, whether it’s a cross-continent move or simply adopting the eating habits of a different culture.
It provides stress relief
Traveling allows us to reset our minds and forget about our chores and workload back home and instead; we can focus on the present moment. Having a short list of fun daily activities on our travel agenda can offer novelty and change in the form of new people, sights and experiences. I find that after I come back from a trip, I am a better daughter, a better friend, a better girlfriend, and a better employee because I was able to break away from my stress-related daily tasks and clear my head and heart.
Getting some ‘you’ time
Traveling gives us breathing space that is often lost in our usual day-to-day existence. Having a moment to take advantage of peace and quiet and to simply ‘be’ allows us to let go of stress and tension and just enjoy being in the moment — a key focus of meditation and a practice you can take home with you. If you’re traveling with a partner, it’s a chance to spend time with only each other for company, which is a thought that probably shouldn’t fill you with dread.
Travel is good for lots of things, but it can also increase mental well-being – and not just in the short-term. Whether you’re traveling for business, on a one-week family holiday, or have sold everything to pursue a life on the road, traveling can make you a happier person by building self-confidence, providing new experiences and memories, breaking routine and allowing you to meet people from all over the world.
When life gets on top of us, it can feel like we’re carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. It’s times like this that a holiday or some light travelling can do wonders for our mental health. Travelling has the power to take us out of our routines and gain new experiences, often helping to reduce stress, anxiety and give us back our appreciation for life.
Here are some of the best ways that travelling can improve your mental health:
It helps you reinvent yourself
Immersing yourself in a new culture and interacting with local people increases your brain’s flexibility. This is a good thing according to Adam Galinsky, a Professor at Columbia Business School, because it actually helps increase your creativity. When you think creatively, you are better at solving problems, are more productive and are better identifying new opportunities. The personal growth opportunities on offer when you engage with people of different backgrounds is also priceless. Empathy and tolerance are two of the most valuable interpersonal skills, especially in today’s ‘global’ society. Travel also tends to expose you to new experiences that could turn into your new passion.
Resources for a healthy mind
A centered, healthy mind is important while traveling. With it, you approach the daily change that travel offers with a positive spirit and open heart. You embrace the newness rather than letting fear rule you. When your mind isn’t healthy, that’s harder to do.
If you have peace of mind, when you meet with problems and difficulties they won’t disturb your inner peace. You’ll be able to employ your human intelligence more effectively. But, if your mental state is disturbed, full of emotion, it is very difficult to cope with problems, because the mind that is full of emotion is biased, unable to see reality. So whatever you do will be unrealistic and naturally fail.
Travel expands our horizons
It’s so easy to get stuck inside the bubble of our own communities. We become complacent and accepting of the way things are based on the ways things are around us. Travelling shakes these views up in a huge way. Seeing other cultures, landscapes, cities, foods, it all reminds us that there is so much more out there and so many other ways of doing things.
For better or worse, it allows us to reflect back on the way we live our own life and if this is truly the life we want to live. Travel inspires people to make big changes in their lives, whether it’s a cross-continent move or simply adopting the eating habits of a different culture.
It provides stress relief
Traveling allows us to reset our minds and forget about our chores and workload back home and instead; we can focus on the present moment. Having a short list of fun daily activities on our travel agenda can offer novelty and change in the form of new people, sights and experiences. I find that after I come back from a trip, I am a better daughter, a better friend, a better girlfriend, and a better employee because I was able to break away from my stress-related daily tasks and clear my head and heart.
Getting some ‘you’ time
Traveling gives us breathing space that is often lost in our usual day-to-day existence. Having a moment to take advantage of peace and quiet and to simply ‘be’ allows us to let go of stress and tension and just enjoy being in the moment — a key focus of meditation and a practice you can take home with you. If you’re traveling with a partner, it’s a chance to spend time with only each other for company, which is a thought that probably shouldn’t fill you with dread.
