The Psychological Benefits of Travel
5 minute read
The saying “We travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us”, seems to be very popular these days. And frankly, I agree with it. Out of necessity or out of desire, we humans have always been travelers by nature.
To take a trip, we’re willing to save up money, pack, and deal with airport security. Why? Well, because being in another part of the world, with its own culture and peculiarities, by far outweighs such hassles. When we travel, we face otherness — a world that is different to the one we come from be it in big or small ways. This confrontation with otherness has the ability to change us (also in big or small ways).
Sure, we’re relaxed while on vacation, but traveling has other benefits too.
Take a look at the psychological benefits of travel:
- Problem-solving skills.
While you’re on a trip, you simply have to figure some stuff out and manage. But the real benefit travel can give you, is that being in foreign lands for a while can help you solve your own issues. Distance can give you a different insight on whatever problems you’ve got back home.
Sometimes the solution we were so desperately looking for, pops up while walking by a quiet river or wandering through the streets of a big city.
The act of traveling implies movement, not only in the physical sense but within our inner self as well. Psychological distance makes space for more creative thinking even without looking for it.
Want to know more about how travel can make you more resourceful? Read this.
2) Emotional stability.
Obviously, emotional stability is the outcome of many different internal and external factors. However, research shows that people who have lived abroad gain a new perspective on life and society.
As long-time travelers get to fully take part in another culture, they can analyze certain situations from different perspectives. The result? they learn how to face everyday challenges in a calmer way than they did before.
Want to know more about how travel can change your personality? Read this.
3) Openness to experience.
We’ve all been there, right? Being more daring than usual while on vacation: trying new foods, being more physically active and overall, searching for new experiences.
Travel can make us surprise ourselves and that openness to experience and exposure to different backgrounds can lead to some revealing facts about ourselves.
Maybe we’re more social than we thought, or on the contrary, being alone for a while suddenly doesn’t sound bad at all. The point is, traveling offers us the chance to keep an open mind.
Want to know more about this? Watch this.
Traveling is both an exploration and a discovery. And while it can come with its challenges, that’s part of what makes the whole experience so worthwhile. As we travel, something within us knows that if the architecture, traditions and landscapes change, maybe we can do so as well.
To sum up, the next time you feel that wanderlust rush, take it as a message that it’s time to meet a part of the world, and yourself, that you didn’t know before.
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