People are exploring the planet more than ever, and they're doing so in search of inspiration rather than simply to see new sights. Done right, travelling is one of the best ways to destress, thanks to its ability to positively disrupt your daily routine. It's also an amazing way to reset your body, mind and soul.
It is no wonder then that the wellness travel industry is growing, with billions of dollars in revenue each year. And why wouldn't it? When we take time off from our busy lives and spend it somewhere beautiful, we feel refreshed, recharged, and better prepared to take on the stressors of daily life.
Wellness travel is described by The Global Wellness Institute as “travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal well-being.”
GWI identifies two types of wellness travellers:
Primary wellness traveller: A traveller whose trip or destination choice is primarily motivated by wellness.
Secondary wellness traveller: A traveller who seeks to maintain wellness while travelling or participates in wellness experiences while taking any type of trip for leisure or business.
The most common misconception is that wellness travel only caters to the elite and wealthy few. Wellness travellers comprise a much broader complex group with individual interests, values and motivations such as pushing the boundaries of comfort zones, detoxing from stress, accessing the healing power of natural landscapes and benefiting from self-discovery while partaking in uniquely transformational experiences around the world.
But how exactly can travelling improve one’s well-being? Here are some benefits that may surprise you.
Great Stress Reliever
When we think of wellness travel, we immediately think of a holistic vacation. A welcome break from the busy humdrum of our lives in order to recharge our whole self - our mind, body and soul. Taking time away from your daily routine helps distract you from stressors. The actual act of stepping away from stressors themselves, so taking flight rather than fighting, also serves to allow your mind and body time to de-escalate from a continual bombardment of stress hormones and refuel your energy reserves. Pressing the reset button de-escalates mounting internal tensions so that your mind can assess the perceived threat, whether that be a failing relationship, an overwhelming job, with clarity.
According to a 2013 study, more than 80% of Americans surveyed noticed significant drops in their stress levels after only a day or two of travelling. Additionally, because it lowers stress, it also improves your happiness and overall mood. Less stress means lower cortisol levels, making you feel calmer and more content. Even the anticipation of an upcoming trip can make us happy. A study done by the University of Surrey found that people are happiest when they have a vacation planned.
If you have chronic stress, your memory and goal-setting abilities are negatively affected. Taking time to go somewhere and get away from work can help you feel more productive and focused when you get back. This is because your brain needs time to rest.
Broadens Our Perspective
When you’re going to a new, unfamiliar place, you will be met with brand new sights of the surroundings. You also get to witness how people in these places live. These could prompt us to reassess and reevaluate our life. In addition, you could learn life lessons through the people you meet in your travels. Or perhaps through understanding the cultures of the place.
Furthermore, witnessing other cultures and societies helps fight prejudice and challenges any biases you might have. In a 2018 travel survey, 76% of the participants believe that travelling gave them a more positive view of people from the countries they have visited. It also made them more open about diversity in general. Their travels facilitated this broadened perspective.
Learning new languages and going to new places opens your mind. This might feel counterproductive, but getting out of your comfort zone can be good for your mental health. Your empathy increases when you go to places you've never been before and experience other cultures. This helps you feel more appreciative of your surroundings when you return home.
Enhances Creativity
Adam Galinsky, a professor from Columbia Business School, has written about the link between travel and creativity. According to him, new experiences brought on by travelling to foreign places enhance both cognitive flexibility and depth of thought. How does that work? Well, creativity is linked to neuroplasticity. This refers to how the brain adapts and rewires itself. Change and fresh stimuli trigger this. Meaning the new experiences you get from travelling can fire up the synapses in your brain, which in turn can awaken new parts in your brain.
Galinsky also notes that simply travelling is not enough. What stimulates your brain to increase creativity is to engage with the environment itself. He even says that those who live abroad and don't engage with the local culture get less of a creative boost.
Getting out and exploring the world can boost your creativity. People who travel more can come up with diverse ideas. Exposure to new cultures, making international friends, studying new languages, and taking in different types of food and music have been linked to better problem-solving skills. Travel helps you see the world in a new way.
Improves Resilience
If you’ve ever felt both excitement and intimidation at the thought of going to a new place, you’re not alone. It is precisely these feelings that can help in improving your mental resilience. Of course, it’s normal to feel nervous and excited. And as mentioned earlier, it’s that anticipation that boosts our mood. In addition, the feeling of intimidation can also toughen you up mentally and emotionally.
Facing unfamiliar places and meeting new people gets you out of your comfort zone and forces you to adapt to the new environment. This can make you emotionally strong, independent, and more patient.
Wellness travel doesn’t require a fancy trip to spas or going on yoga retreats. Any kind of travel can be wellness travel, as long as you get to fully destress and improve your overall health!
Share your thoughts on travel and mental health below, we'd love to hear from you!
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