It’s the time of year when singles, couples and families are planning for their yearly vacation. Planning a trip is exciting. Beyond the brochures and travel guides, new adventures await you. Those new adventures bring knowledge of culture and history, as well as entertainment and activities. The result of your travel will be an experience you can carry with you for a lifetime. Travel offers you so many good things, surely you are also aware travel is good for you. If you didn’t, here are five ways travel can improve your health.
1. It Boosts Your Immune System
When you travel, not only will you experience new locations, you’ll also experience new bacteria. This is natural and it’s not something you need to try to avoid, though you should still practice the same good hygiene you practice at home. Travel doesn’t mean it’s time to break the rules! The introduction of those bacteria actually makes your immune system stronger.
A stronger immune system will not only make you a healthier traveler, but you’ll reap those benefits once you’re back at home. This means you’ll experience increased productivity in life and at work. So, don’t fear the planes, restaurants, and shops. Go ahead and book that Thailand cruise and revel in the knowledge you’re building a stronger being.
2. Reduces Your Risk of Heart Disease
When you travel, you leave behind all the stress that has been building in your daily life. Stress-relief is certainly a benefit of travel, but it goes far beyond that. That decrease in stress is good for your heart. Everyday stressors such as your career, the traffic and being on time to your kids’ soccer practice can wreak havoc on your stress levels, which in turn could lead to heart disease. If you only travel once a year, this is a good reason to get out more.
3. Your Mental Health
Studies show that people who travel have a better outlook on life. A vacation has the ability to improve your mood and that good mood starts with the planning phase of the vacation. In fact, the anticipation of taking a vacation is more exciting than acquiring a material possession. That happiness you experienced during the planning phase will carry into the trip itself and then also stay with you long after the vacation has ended. So, instead of buying a new car, how about a nice trip overseas to give you a big boost of happiness?
4. Travel Inspires Creativity
Did you know a happier you is also a more creative you? Travel is the gift that keeps on giving. Now that you’ve lost the stress, you can open up to new ways of thinking, literally. The neural pathways in your brain are influenced by your environment, so when you indulge in a new experience you create new pathways.
If your environment has been stagnant and you’ve been feeling less inspired, this could be the reason. Planning a trip that takes you out of your day to day realm can fix that. Travel gives your creative mind time to play, and just like your personal life, about any line of work can benefit from that renewed energy.
5. It Improves Your Relationships
From your significant other to your children, sharing the experiences of travel can strengthen family bonds. It can even reduce behavioral problems in children. This is because when you travel you are spending quality time together without the stressors of your everyday lives. Also, when you travel together, you depend on one another which helps build trust.
Couples who travel together report greater satisfaction with their partners and their relationships. If your relationship has seen on edge recently, perhaps it’s time to get out and see the world together.
From the planning phase to being back home, travel is a definite boost to your happiness, creativity and your physical health. Now, where do you want to go?
