The Benefits of Travel on Mental Health

Most of us are familiar with many of the benefits of travel. It’s an escape from the drudgery of work, it provides an arena for adventure, and it allows us to splurge a little on the finer things in life. However, there’s more to get out of travel, especially when it comes to our mental health. Visiting someplace strange and exotic can leave us with a better sense of ourselves and our place in the world. It can also serve to reset our minds, making us more grounded and less depressed.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of travel on our mental health and wellbeing:

Purging

While there’s no denying the fact we are responsible for our own behavior, there’s something to be said for the influence of the people and places that surround us on a day-to-day basis. By leaving home to go someplace far away, we remove ourselves from these influences. This is a fundamental factor for why an inpatient detox program involves removing someone from their familiar environment. A similar effect occurs when we travel, in that we purge ourselves – at least temporarily – of the influences which contribute to our weaknesses. This gives us the opportunity to assess how to better handle these influences upon our return.

Perspective

Traveling someplace exotic helps us to see the world differently. By taking part in the culture and customs of the host city or country, we tend to gain insights we otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to, consequently expanding our perspective. While this might not transform us into new people, it highlights the bonds people share regardless of where they’re from, simultaneously showcasing the things that make us different.

Learning

If you travel to a foreign place, you’re bound to learn a thing or two. Whether it’s educational experiences in London or cultural study in Nairobi, we absorb information that is difficult to replicate as well back home. Make an effort to visit a museum or two whenever you’re visiting a new place. The knowledge acquired can be truly life-changing!

Appreciation

Traveling to other parts of the world can result in a newfound appreciation for what you have back home. Many of the world’s most popular tourist destinations are places where poverty is high and opportunities for social mobility are low. While your home country is far from perfect, the average person there probably has it much better, including yourself. This appreciation for what we have can help us to feel better about our lives and ourselves in the process.

Rejuvenation

Finally, travel can help us to return home feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. We travel to Aruba, and other destinations around the world, because we’re tired of the same old places, and getting away allows us to enjoy something new and different. This can serve as a way to reset our minds, helping us to return home feeling much healthier and happier than before we left.

Travel sounds attractive to most people for obvious reasons, many of which have to do with fun and excitement or rest and relaxation. But journeying past the familiar can also help our minds. This, ultimately, helps us be better people.