why travel is good for your mental health
Who doesn't love to explore new parts of the world? Travel is one of the most desired activities among adults. While frequent travel may not be affordable for everyone, saving up towards an occasional special trip could really make a difference on your mental health and overall well-being.
I decided a few years ago that travel was one thing that I aspired to do often, and I have been very intentional with planning at least one domestic trip & one international trip for myself each year. I set aside money and limit my daily spending so that I could put more money towards traveling.
Travel brings up so many different emotions and can really be used as an opportunity to connect with yourself, nature, and feel gratitude for the life you live. Here's a few reasons why travel is specifically good for your mental health:
TRAVEL can be GROUNDING
Depending on where you are traveling, it can be a very grounding experience. Spending time in nature helps you to connect with the earth and all of it's natural beauty. This helps us to see the world in a different light, and further appreciate the opportunity we have to travel. This also pushes us to feel more gratitude towards our life, and blessings in general. Gratitude allows us to feel more content and over time even happier. The happier we are, the better our mental state is.
a time to minimize stress
Vacations should never feel stressful. And if it does, that's not a vacation. Vacation should be used as a time to be intentional with limiting distractions, phone use, work tasks, or engaging in stressful conversations & activities. If you're on your phone and laptop most of your vacation, is it even a vacation?
If your last few trips have been with a group of people who you don't feel like you can relax and have fun with, maybe you should consider traveling solo or with a group of different people. Check out my solo trip vlog to the island of Curacao below:
If you're looking for people to fit more of your travel vibe, you can always find a retreat hosted by companies and individuals in the health & wellness space. Retreats are great because you don't have the responsibility of planning. You just book it and show up. My last two Real Hot Retreats that I hosted were 2 of the best trips I've ever been on. And while it was still work for me, the best feeling came from seeing how much everyone truly enjoyed themselves and made connections with one another. I'm hosting my next retreat in October 2023 in San Diego, CA. If you're interested in learning more and being an attendee click here:
TRAVEL CAN MOTIVATE YOU
Have you ever left a city or country and felt extremely motivated? You may have felt motivated because you experienced some form of luxury. You may have felt this way because you saw your dream home, or maybe even stayed in your dream apartment. You may have met someone who inspired you to excel in life or to travel more. Maybe you tried something new such as yoga or meditation while traveling, and now you want to add it to your daily routine back home.
Yes, you might be sad to go home; but when you do get home you're more likely to feel eager to work on those passion projects, increase your quality of life, or even get the ball rolling with looking for a better line of work. I always feel a fire lit under my booty when I return from a trip because I remember that I need to work so that I can fund my next trip.
Some people live to work, and others work to live. Which one do you choose?
