Many of us know the feeling when you book a plane ticket or make plans to travel; a mixture of excitement, relaxation and wanderlust.
But, travelling is so much more that the transportation, accommodation and destination. As Mark Twain once said “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow mindedness”. It is not a question of if it will change you, but how it will change you.
Travel is known to increase happiness, not only in the short term but also in the long term. How can one small vacation do that? Below are some of our top reasons why travelling is important for us all, mentally and physically.
Time To Think
When travelling, you have time to disconnect and focus on you. This increased amount of time can lead to many, many revelations that you have been searching for. Creative juices start flowing and you find yourself coming up with ideas, solutions and a sense of wellbeing like you never thought possible before. Some of my biggest life goals, dreams and ambitions have been developed by simply sitting on a beach and being.
Change of perception
Perception is everything. Perception of yourself, your situation and the world are more than likely to be challenged during and after travel. The more cultural and global awareness you gain the more open minded and accepting you become. As a human being you become more complete and accepting of diversity, by learning to remove stereotypes. You may also find yourself being more grateful for what you have and create a content peacefulness, around your current situation.
Education
Travel creates unique challenges, situations and opportunities for learning. Whether you are learning a new language, cooking skill or navigating your way around a city your brain will be active. Psychologists have determined that an increase in brain activity has a direct impact on increased happiness. By dealing with unexpected situations and learning new skills you begin to find a new chapter of self-confidence and assertiveness in your being. The learning opportunities are as endless as are the cities to explore.
Relationship Building
A smile is infectious and traveling to places where locals are happy and carefree can be undeniably contagious. Meeting new people becomes easy, your walls are down and open to conversations. Many lifelong friends and soul mates have been found when travelling. You may even find that your family bond strengthens as you create new unforgettable memories together.
Being in the Moment
We have saved what we believe to be the single most important reason to travel till last: leaning to be in the moment.
In our busy society we are constantly looking for ways to help ourselves ground down and relax. From meditation videos on youtube to float tanks, our wellbeing knows that we need to connect to the present, but we either can’t find time to do it, or simply don’t know how.
Travel has a supernatural power of snapping you into real time without even trying. You start to focus on the present and slow things down.
This restorative way of thinking can have a long lasting impact on our well-being. Learnt and developed abroad, you can now bring those skills back home and implement them into your life in a much more seamless manner, knowing you have done it before and have memories to reflect upon.
Travel is in all of us. That yearning feeling for you next vacation may be a sign that it is time to create some breathing space and enrich your life with culture, joy and stillness.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page”
– St. Augustine