Travelling: 4 Ways It Can Benefit You
If exploring the world's corners is at the top of your bucket list, find out how travelling can benefit you.
“So much of who we are is where we have been.” - William Langewiesche
The gorgeous cherry blossoms of Japan, the magnificent piazzas of Italy, and the breathtaking safaris of Kenya are just a few of the names that have made their way onto my bucket list. Travel has been an integral part of my life growing up. As a family, we would travel to a new country every summer break. While they were nothing more than an annual tradition for me at the time, as I reflect on them, each of those trips has a deep meaning for me.
In retrospect, my travels have not only been literally transportive but also transformative. It is only when I was thrust into the hustle and bustle of a new culture, I was able to create a profound understanding of people's way of life, traditions and customs. The pandemic halted our travel plans for two years, but with restrictions lifted, the desire to see more of the world has grown.
For the time being, however, I am living my bucket list vicariously through the social media posts of my friends and travel bloggers. This got me thinking about why so many of us are drawn to travel and what some of its benefits are. So, in this article, we will examine these two factors in depth.
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Why Do We Like to Travel?
Several theories have been proposed to explain our desire to travel and explore. The first and probably one of the most prominent ones is evolution. We, humans, have spent the majority of our history as part of nomadic communities. Our ancestors would frequently move in search of food, safety or due to climatic conditions.
However, after we began heading towards the direction of settlements over 10,000 years or so, travelling no longer became a necessity for all and only appealed to a select few. So, if you've been thinking about travelling around the world, you're not alone. Our nomadic roots have given us a natural inclination to do so.
Aside from this theory, another important reason is to have novel experiences and escape monotony. Studies have shown that when we have novel experiences our dopamine pathways (reward systems) are activated. As a result, when we travel and engage in unfamiliar activities, our reward system is activated, motivating us to explore more of the environment for greater rewards in return.
Genetics is also said to play a role in this, with studies identifying a gene variant known as the ‘wanderlust gene’ or ‘DRD4-7R’. Its presence may be associated with an increased tendency for novelty-seeking behaviour, adventure, and impulsivity. However, experts say that further genetic research is needed before they can draw conclusions.
How Is Travelling Beneficial for Us?
Travelling has several positive effects on us, not only on our mental health but also on our physical health and productivity. Let us take a closer look at each of these benefits.
a. Increases Happiness and Well-Being
Turns out the positive effects of travelling and vacationing begin long before we even reach our desired destination. Take for instance a study conducted in the Netherlands which indicates that one’s anticipation to embark on a trip can increase weeks and months before the travel itself. Similarly, Cornell University supports this and suggests that this feeling supersedes the level of happiness one tends to experience when acquiring a material possession such as a car.
Even after returning from the trip, individuals tend to experience its positive effects. This is backed by research that shows that relaxing vacations can improve people's happiness after they return from their trips. In addition to happiness, studies among employees show that vacations can also have a positive effect on their well-being.
b. Improves Mood and Reduces Stress
Vacations also have a prominent effect on not only the traveller's mood but also help in reducing their stress levels as well.
In the context of mood and mental health, a prominent long-term study among women showed that those who do not take vacations are 2 times more likely to suffer from depression than those who go on one regularly. Furthermore, another study indicated the effects of vacation in reducing depression among lawyers, thereby highlighting its powerful effect on our mental health.
Another benefit of travelling is that it reduces stress. Stressors we encounter on an everyday basis are in the form of work stress or daily hassles; an excess of which can have a significant effect on one’s health, mood and behaviour as well. In such cases, travelling provides one the ability to reduce and recover from the effect of these stressors regardless of the duration of one’s vacation.
c. Enhances Overall Health
Moving on from mental health, vacationing and travelling have been linked to improved overall health. In fact, research and studies in the field support this. A 9-year study in middle-aged men, for example, found that taking a vacation once a year can help reduce the risk of death from heart disease by up to 30%.
A similar effect was observed in women in another study, which found that women who travel and take vacations at least twice a year had a lower risk of heart attacks or coronary-related problems than women who did so once every six years or less. Travelling also is said to be beneficial in reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome which can in turn reduce the likelihood of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart issues.
Furthermore, an occasional trip can help improve your existing sleep patterns. According to experts, when we travel, we tend to use a new bed, which helps us break the negative sleep patterns we have developed in our own homes, such as checking our phones before bed or working until late. This beneficial effect of vacations was also observed in a study which found that after returning from a trip, individuals were sleeping for about an hour more.
These studies demonstrate how taking a vacation can be beneficial to our overall health.
d. Boosts Productivity and Creativity
When you clock into your work day in and day out, regardless of if you worked a 9-5 or a creative job, not taking time off can hinder your performance. Taking a vacation during these times can definitely benefit your productivity, if not for the aforementioned health and mental health benefits.
For instance, Mark Rosekind, a researcher at Alertness Solutions was able to identify that following a vacation, employee performance increased up to a staggering 80%. What's more, according to the findings of some studies, people report that after a vacation, they need to put in less effort for a task than they did before. While in another, individuals not only report higher job satisfaction but also better performance during their vacations.
Improvement in creativity is another benefit of travel. A 2014 study indicated that following a trip or vacation, employees demonstrate to be more creatively flexible and are able to provide diverse solutions to the given problem. While some see immediate changes in their creativity, others report changes two weeks after their return. Adam Galinsky, a psychologist provides an explanation for this effect. He suggests that when we travel and immerse ourselves in a totally different culture, they are able to increase our flexibility in thought which in turn helps improve our creativity.
Travelling has been a key part of our history, however time the importance and value assigned to it have changed. From being a key part of our survival, it has not become a source of not only a way to help us break away from everyday stressors and rejuvenate ourselves. If you have been thinking of taking a trip sometime soon, I hope you just got all the more reason to pack your bags and head on for that adventure.
Bon Voyage!
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