Do you remember what happened the last time someone said, “Let’s take a trip to name your last trip”? Did your mind immediately begin picturing the locale, the things you would do there, the delicious foods you would eat?
How did that make you feel? Did your mood immediately improve? Did your mind start to plan what you would need to pack, how you would travel, the time frame of your journey? Did it make you happy to have something special to look forward to?
Do you see how quickly your mindset starts to shift into planning and logistics mode and your spirits start to lift? You can hardly wait to start packing and get on the road. The healing power of travel can begin even before you leave!
There are many ways travel can be therapeutic to both body and mind. It doesn’t have to be a long trip; an overnight stay or a weekend away can do wonders for your spirits. A massage, a spa day, a dip in the hot tub or a trip to a mineral spring can be relaxing and healing to body and mind. Go ahead, spoil yourself a little!
Going to a different location, whether around the corner or around the world, gets you out of your comfort zone and into a more open state where you are more observant and more present to the new sights, sounds, smells and tastes around you.
This opens your mind to new insights, new inspiration and increased creativity. It helps you reinvent yourself because you can view your life more objectively and reflect on your goals, principles and values. As you meet new people and interact with new cultures, even within your own country, you have the opportunity to reassess, and perhaps change, your views.
Simply getting away from home and work pressures, leaving behind everyday chores can relieve a mountain of stress. Studies show that it can actually lower your blood pressure and slow your heart rate.
If you have emotional trauma or wounds that need to heal, time away can get you out of your past, into the present and gives you a “neutral” space in which to evaluate your situation and perhaps release negative feelings that no longer serve you. You can make plans to change your situation when you return home.
Travel also builds self-confidence, particularly if you’re traveling alone. Sometimes you must deal with a language barrier, sometimes there are travel mishaps like bags becoming lost or missed flight connections. As you deal with and overcome these challenges you increase your belief that you can handle difficulties in your life back home.
All this problem solving, getting out of your routine and experiencing new things actually rewires your brain, building new neural pathways. It lets you think about the world in new and different ways. Data show that travelers, those who take more time off from work, are actually more likely to receive raises and promotions than those who keep their noses to the grindstone, shunning vacations.
It matters where you go. Certain places have a mystique about them, a “soul” that touches you in a special way. Perhaps it is the spirit of creativity in a place like Santa Fe, New Mexico or a sense of being at home that some feel in Scotland or the haunting of lost civilizations in the Four Corners area and South America or the awareness of history in Europe. These are experiences to be savored and treasured.
Finally, you should strive to bring something of your travels home with you to incorporate into your life. Maybe you love French or Italian food. Take a cooking class on your trip and bring the recipes home. Maybe you want to learn a little of a new language. If you did yoga or exercised more on your trip, keep that up when you get back. If you took time for breakfast while away continue it, at least on weekends, after you return. In this way you can keep the healing benefits of your travels alive long after you get back.
This post (sans images) was written as part of a collaborative blog post with several other authors. You can read the entire blog post here.