Travelling has such universal appeal, especially for stressed people who have been stuck in a rut. Then it’s no wonder then, that in the United States, the months between Memorial Day (end of May) and Labour Day (the first Monday of September) are some of the busiest travel days. Think about it, the weather is warming up, the kids are out of school, and between the end of May to the start of September, you have three major holidays, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labour Day.
Did you know that travelling is scientifically proven to be good for your health? It’s true. Travel benefits include boosting your moods, reducing stress, exposing you to new cultures and ideas, enhancing creativity, increasing happiness, and making you mentally resilient.
Travel as a form of mental health self-care
Travelling is a good form of mental self-care. You have the opportunity to step away from the daily grind in your life and operate on a different pattern and timeframe than when you’re at home. As a result, the feelings of being stuck in a rut or trapped are significantly reduced.
Travelling reduces stress
By travelling, you’re opening your mind up to many new stimuli and experiences, which help stimulate the mind and reduce stress in your life.
The opportunity to reinvent yourself
Travelling exposes you to new ways of doing things and thinking about everyday problems and gives you a way to reinvent yourself over time based on the experiences of your travels.
Travelling enhances your creativity
Research shows that being exposed to new thoughts and experiences creates more flexibility in your thinking. Also, as you are exposed to new ways of doing things and different forms of artistic expressions, you’re more open to incorporating those things into your perspective and outlook on life.
Increases happiness
A byproduct of reduced stress and positive stimulation that we get when we travel is an increase in overall general satisfaction.
Strengthens mental resilience
Travel causes you to deal with a lot of different challenges, sometimes all at the same time. You have itineraries to keep, sometimes language barriers to overcome, and unfamiliarity with the location and geography. Working through those various challenges only increases your mental toughness to be able to handle multiple levels of stress while also improving your problem-solving skills.
All the benefits of travel aside, there can be a downside to travelling all the time. If you don’t plan your trips effectively, you could spend a lot more than you have and put yourself into debt. Also, certain travel may be difficult without a credit card, which can add stress to your life.
If you need to build some credit, there are loans designed to help, or you could explore a credit builder card. This type of card is built on a security deposit and operates as a low-interest, low-limit type of card that, as long as payments are made on time, you’ll build credit, allowing other forms of credit and loans to be possible.
Other issues with travelling a lot include:
- Constant fatigue
- Lack of long-term personal relationships
- Your home becomes an at-risk location due to being left unsupervised for lengthy periods of time
- Difficulty with sleep and appetite
Travelling a lot takes a lot of energy. Both to prepare to travel and to travel physically. So it can be exhausting, especially if you’re constantly travelling. Relationships may suffer if you’re travelling all the time without spending any significant time at home. It may impact your ability to communicate, trust, or even understand a partner or child.
Travelling a lot can make your home and possessions ripe for abuse. Unsupervised homes are more likely than occupied homes to be targeted by criminals. Further, travelling a lot can impact your circadian rhythm and your natural sleep cycle. As you disrupt your circadian rhythm, you’ll be constantly tired, affecting your appetite.
Travelling offers numerous benefits but travelling too much can also have some negative side effects. For example, issues such as debt accrued or concerns about relationships end up becoming more stressful than enriching.
Unless travelling constantly is part of your job, keeping a balance of travel and stability at home is the perfect combination to allow you to gain the enormous benefits of travelling without adding stress to your life.