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.
1. FIND YOUR SELF-CONFIDENCE BY DEALING WITH UNEXPECTED SITUATIONS
There comes a time when everyone must deal with an unexpected
situation when they’re on the road. Even if you plan your trip to the letter,
things can take a surprise turn. Whatever happens, there is a way around the
problem and knowing that you can deal with these situations is a big boost to
self-confidence and therefore your happiness.
2. HAPPINESS IS INFECTIOUS
When locals are happy, smiling and friendly, it has an immediate
knock-on effect. I found the people of Cambodia and Laos to be notably friendly
and cheerful, despite the relative poorness of these countries and the former
in particular having a very recent traumatic history. When faced with those big
beaming smiles, it’s hard to be annoyed at the hassling you might experience at
busy sites like Angkor Wat;
putting that knee-jerk irritation to one side instantly lifts your mood and is
a good habit to take home.
3. BEING AWAY MAKES YOU
APPRECIATE FAMILY AND HOME
Being away from things we often take for granted — family, close
friends, home — makes us appreciate them more. Calling home isn’t a chore, but
something to look forward to: no one enjoys listening to your envy-inducing
travel stories more than your parents, so it’s the perfect excuse to wax
lyrical about whatever place with which you’ve just fallen in love.
4. YOU MAKE NEW FRIENDS
It’s much easier to make new friends on the road than it is at
home, where people are less inclined to chat to strangers on a bus or strike up
conversation in a bar (at least, that’s true of London). When people are away
from home, there seem to be less boundaries to cross and making friends becomes
much easier, whether it’s a local curious to know where you’ve come from or a
fellow travellers keen to have someone with whom to enjoy a beer or share a
taxi. Social interactions make us happier and increasing our social circle
means that we’re talking more and meeting different, interesting people, which
hopefully means we’re learning more, too.
5. DETOX FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media can be used for both good and bad, but it’s healthy
for everyone to have a break from the internet every once in a while. Wi-fi is
so prevalent that it’s hard to turn off and you can quite often find yourself
tuning out whatever amazing place you’re in with your face in your phone,
checking Twitter, scrolling through your Facebook feed, checking your emails... stop. Turn it off.
Better yet, find somewhere with no reception and no wi-fi so that you don’t
have a choice. It’s liberating and allows you to better enjoy the ‘here and
now’, which nicely ties into the following point.
6. 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.
7. EDUCATION, EDUCATION,
EDUCATION
Whether it’s learning a new skill such as cooking Thai food or
learning a new language, travel presents ways in which we can further our
knowledge and education. Learning makes our brains more active, which
psychologists have found increases our level of happiness - particularly when
learning something we find enjoyable.
8. GET A VITAMIN D BOOST
Whilst it’s a bit of myth that you need to be on a sun-lounger for
twelve hours to feel the full effects of vitamin D (20 minutes of exposure to
sunlight is enough), there’s no doubt that in the same way that the cold and
dark of winter makes us unhappy (feeling the effects of seasonal affective
disorder or SAD), sunshine and warmth generally put us in a much better mood. A
beach break is a great way to relax and enjoy the health benefits of a warm
climate. Admittedly, this is more of a short-term boost, but a healthy glow
makes everyone feels better and lasts for a few weeks after your trip is over.
9. YOU’RE MORE INTERESTING
You don’t need to be a ‘travel bore’ to have a few interesting
stories to tell. Traveling throws up a lot of bizarre, funny and sometimes
serious situations that relating back to people will make you — at least — feel
interesting. Making someone laugh is an easy way to instantly bump up your
self-esteem, so hold on to those embarrassing memories — no matter how much
they might make you cringe.
10. NEW EXPERIENCES GIVE US
MOMENTS TO REMEMBER
For most people, travelling is about the new experiences. I will
always remember that moment of awe when I stood watching the sunlight leak out
over the rainforest around the ancient temple of Borobudur in
Java at sunrise, the sky turned a striking shade of violet: it was one of the
most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. Recalling memories of happiness can
sustain a feeling of contentment long after the moment has passed, and new
experiences are memories that can stick with you forever.
11. THE EFFECTS OF TRAVELING
AREN’T JUST SHORT-TERM
Aside from making you happier in the short-term, traveling can
make you a much more contented, happy and relaxed person in the long run, too.
Of course, most travel enthusiasts are constantly planning their next trip, but
when we’re at home or past a point of being able to jet off whenever we like,
past travels leave us with the memories and personal skills - such as
confidence, broad-mindedness, friends and a more worldly perspective — that
make people happy. And that’s why travel makes you a happier person.
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