Mental Health Benefits of Travel

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I say ‘travel’ – a holiday? Meeting new people? Or maybe, Instagrammable sunsets? While travelling can be exciting and exhilarating, it’s so much more than sipping margaritas on a sun-soaked beach.

Taking a holiday and having a change of scenery, even if it is just a couple of hours down the road, can work wonders, and it has been scientifically proven that travel provides a number of benefits to your mental health. 

With the rise of the Instagram generation, visibility of travelling has never been more prominent. As influencers promote the travelling lifestyle, more young people want to mimic it. This and the increased awareness in mental health issues has led to a number of the younger generation taking extended time out to travel and find themselves. 

You don’t have to take a gap year for this, just one trip away could help change your outlook on life for the better – here are a few reasons why it may be worth packing your suitcase.

Stress Relief

Our lives can often be constantly busy, and sometimes we may feel that we are living each day on repeat. Travel is a great way to escape the stresses and commitments of everyday life, offering novelty and change in the form of new people, sights and experiences. It can be hard trying to escape your mind when stress is plaguing you, that is why finding outlets can help curb this and bring a more peaceful outlook. Combining travel, activities, movement, etc. with other stress-relief, such as CBD and cannabis, which you can learn more about over at organiccbdnugs.com, will help immensely and potentially give you a better outlook on what you are going through.

For some, travel is not about seeing new places, but rather escaping old ones that have a negative impact on our lives. Vacations can also help us to manage stress as they take us away from the places and activities that contribute to our stress levels.

Stay Fit and Healthy

While a holiday is often time to relax, it can also be a time to test yourself. If you plan on taking a backpacking trip, for example, there will be periods of time where you explore a vast new country with all your luggage on your back. This is great because physical exercise is known to improve mental wellbeing. 

Whether it be exploring jungles or exploring the winding streets of a city break, keeping yourself active and exploring allows you to relieve stress through exploration as well as releasing happy chemicals through exercise. Immersing yourself in and connecting with nature is another key way to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression, so those jungle trips really will help. 

Breaks Routine 

As mentioned before, the modern routine can often feel like you live life on repeat. We all love replaying our favourite song but eventually, it gets stale and we need a shakeup, the same can be said for life. 

Whether you venture abroad or simply to the next town over, taking a break from your usual routines with a trip away from home can help break negative cycles, get you out of a rut and reveal a world of possibilities beyond your bubble.

Change in Perspective 

One of the main benefits of travelling and experiencing new cultures is the way they view the world. Having new perspectives on life can really help you get your head around some of the issues within your own. 

Something as simple as learning a new recipe or changing the way you spend your downtime can have a dramatic effect on your wellbeing. Travel can lead you to question and challenge the norms of everyday life at home, potentially inspiring you to make positive changes.

Before You Go…

If you are going on holiday, you’ll have better peace of mind if all of your documents are ready. Be aware of countries that may need visas. Paperwork can be a mess but luckily these days, countries such as Oman will offer an Oman E-Visa, so it can all be done online before you go. Even Canada is offering a form of electronic visa through a Canada eTA. Make sure you get down to your Birmingham travel agents and book an exciting trip. 

Make sure that all your travel documents are in order, with your passport being valid with 6 months left on it before you travel. Research where you are travelling, looking into the culture and dress code that is acceptable so you can enjoy your trip without any complications.