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Traveling is something that many people like to do or dream of doing, but don’t take it into action for a number of different reasons such as lack of money, job responsibilities, home/family responsibilities, etc. Perhaps if more people were aware of the physical, mental health and social benefits of traveling abroad, they would also make traveling one of their priorities. Let’s discuss the overall health benefits that according to scientific research happen when we travel more…
The most well-known benefits of traveling seem to be benefits to human’s mental health. One of the ways that traveling benefits mental health is that it broadens people’s perspectives, people’s views of the world, and eliminates narrow mindedness by pushing people out of their comfort zones and making them embrace the unfamiliar. Traveling also forces people to communicate, navigate and learn about other cultures. Traveling increases cognitive stimulation and enhances people’s creativity when they immerse themselves in new and unfamiliar places, sights and sounds. According to Kristen Fuller, a physician and mental health writer for Center for Discovery, changing ones environment causes new neuronal pathways to form, enhancing creativity (Fuller, 2018). According to Dr. Paul Nussbaum, Ph.D., ABPP, president and founder of the Brain Health Center, Inc., “Because it challenges the brain with new and different experiences and environments, travel is an important behavior that promotes brain health and builds brain resilience across the lifespan” (Global, 2018). Traveling also provides stress relief and allows people to focus on the present moment by resetting their minds and forgetting about their chores, work and responsibilities (Fuller, 2018). After being on vacation for only a day or two, 89 percent of people are able to leave the stressors of work behind and relax. This has long-term effects, as stress has been shown to play a damaging role in health and can actually speed up the aging process (Global, 2018).
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Traveling also increases people’s happiness by boosting their mood before, during and after the trip. According to a study by the University of Surrey, people are at their happiest when they have a vacation planned, they are more positive about their health, economic situation and general quality of life (Fuller, 2018). Another study by Cornell University found that people find more happiness from anticipating a travel experience in comparison to anticipating buying a new possession (Fuller, 2018). A survey by the US Travel Association found that traveling can strengthen relationships by sharing travel experiences and working together through mishaps (Fuller, 2018). In an article on the mental benefits of vacationing somewhere new, the authors discuss that traveling “enhances emotional agility, or the ability to not react immediately to emotions, but to observe those that arise, carefully collect information to understand the possible causes, then intentionally decide how to manage them” (Kashdan, Achor, Gielan, O’Brien, Kolb & Brady, 2018). The second benefit mentioned in this article is empathy, which according to studies, people who travel more are able to show a greater tolerance and trust toward strangers, greater ability to suspend judgment, and become more appreciative of people (Kashdan, Achor, Gielan, O’Brien, Kolb & Brady, 2018). Other interesting benefits of traveling found in literature reviews of research studies state that time allotted for family bonding is decreasing, likely attributed to increased career demands and changing family structures. Several studies showed travel as a means to improve communications within a relationship, reduce the possibility of divorce, strengthen lifelong family bonds and increase a sense of well-being in adults and children (Durko & Petrick, 2016).
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As with mental health, there are also physical health benefits of traveling. These benefits have a lot to do with the physical activities most commonly associated with traveling. A study by the Global Coalition of Aging on the physical, cognitive and social benefits of travel found that travel provides a path to a healthy aging process. The article states that “women who vacationed every six years or less had a significantly higher risk of developing a heart attack or coronary death compared to women who vacationed at least twice a year” (Global, 2018) as well as “men who did not take an annual vacation had a 20 percent higher risk of death and 30 percent greater risk of death from heart disease” (Global, 2018). Traveling involves plenty of physical activity, and according to a collective article by Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies and US Travel Association “Older adults who are physically active have lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, cancers, lower risk of falling, and better cognitive function” (Global, 2018). Some of the mental health benefits of travel go hand in hand with the physical health benefits, and a perfect example of this is the “stress relief” benefit and stress has been linked to having damaging effects on physical health. The same collective article mentioned above states that “after being on vacation for only a day or two, 89 percent of people are able to leave the stressors of work behind and relax. This has long-term effects, as stress has been shown to play a damaging role in health and can actually speed up the aging process” (Global, 2018).
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Photo by Capturing the human heart. on Unsplash
After learning about all the physical, mental and social benefits of traveling, it is safe to say that we should start thinking of travel less like a luxury and more like a necessity for optimal health.
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References:
- Kashdan, T. B., Achor, S., Gielan, M., O’Brien, E., Kolb, D. M., & Brady, S. M. (2018, May 21). The mental benefits of vacationing somewhere new. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2018/01/the-mental-benefits-of-vacationing-somewhere-new
- Global Coalition on Aging. (2018, July). Destination Healthy Aging: The physical, cognitive and social benefits of travel. Retrieved November 10, 2019, from https://globalcoalitiononaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/destination-healthy- aging-white-paper_final-web.pdf
- Durko, A., & Petrick, J. (2016). The benefits of travel: Family and relationships review of literature. Travel and Tourism Research Association: Advancing Tourism Research Globally. 16 https://scholarworks.umass.edu/ttra/2013/AcademicPapers_Oral/16
- Fuller, K. (2018, November 27). Six ways traveling can boost your mental health. Retrieved November 10, 2019, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happiness-is-state- mind/201811/six-ways-traveling-can-boost-your-mental-health