Nothing quite gives us peace like traveling. Whether you’re traveling to a small town in Alaska or the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, traveling gives us a unique perspective of life and ourselves. You can spend hours in a quiet room and not have nearly half as much peace as you have in your heart while traveling. Experts agree that traveling is one of life’s most effective stress busters.
What’s better? Sitting quietly in your room with the lights and TV turned off or joining Alaska halibut fishing trips? Sure, the sea is thunderous, and the people around you talk, laugh, and drink. There’s noise, yes, but there’s peace as well. Going out to the great big ocean is more calming than successfully practicing yoga for two hours. You can meditate all you want. But if your studio is in the city center, you’re going to be slapped with reality when you leave the place.
Want to know why traveling is good for your mental health? What are these stress busters? How can you achieve that level of calm and relaxation while traveling?
Break Away from Routine
Traveling allows you to break from your daily routine and seek peace within yourself. Most of the time, you cannot identify your feelings because the world around you is too loud and distracting. Go out there and see new places. Traveling allows you to see yourself from a different perspective. It takes you away from the everyday stresses of life and just allows you to be who you are. Routines are deadly to people who seek adventure and tranquility. Once in a while, reward yourself with a break. It will be cathartic for you.
Be Aware of New Things
When traveling, you get introduced to many different cultures, languages, and traditions. You begin to appreciate your own tradition. You are more aware of how you act and speak. These help you reevaluate your life and reinvent yourself. You’ll go home a better person because you now have a clearer understanding of the world around you.
Develop Resiliency from the Unknown
You’re in a different place with people coming from different backgrounds and histories. You are outside of your comfort zone. You will learn to adjust. That’s what traveling gives people — mental and emotional resiliency. You have to deal with people who do not share your lifestyle, background, race, and culture. You have to ask for directions. You will learn to adapt to their language. Traveling teaches you patience and mental strength. It teaches you to embrace the uncontrollable. When you return, you are a less anxious and impatient person.
Make Peace with the Past
A lot of people who have to move on from ending a difficult relationship travel to forget. And for them, it’s not so much as forgetting what happened but embracing that there are some things they cannot change. Traveling teaches you acceptance. That is part of growing. While you won’t forget someone who hurt you with a snap of a finger, traveling helps you see that there are bigger things than your heartbreak.
The next time you travel, stop and smell the roses — literally and figuratively). Appreciate that you’re able to take a break. Be open to what you can possibly learn in this new land with these new people. You’ll come home feeling a little better about yourself, your relationships, and your place in this world.
