We hear more and more regularly about how good travel is for us, both physically and mentally. The reasons for this vary almost as much as the ways in which people manage to travel more frequently and extensively, as the all world travel reviews show.
People say that travelling is good for your soul and your mind, and people change their lives according to that philosophy. Here are a few solid reasons for why travelling is good for you.
It keeps you moving
Unless you are travelling somewhere purely to sit in a chair by a fire for the entire holiday (which is a perfectly good thing to do) travelling keeps you moving. It is surprisingly good exercise, since you end up moving all the time – walking to sites, walking through airports and docks, running so you don’t miss your connection…the list goes on. Travel can be very good exercise, particularly if you take a tour of an important building or site while you do it.
It acts as a stress-buster
Yes, the actual act of travelling can itself be incredibly stressful, but actually being on a holiday is very relaxing, especially if it is the ‘sitting in a chair by a fire’ type of holiday. These types of holidays can be tailored to match what helps you to relax – there is no formula – and they can be incredibly helpful when it comes to actually de-stressing, and rebooting your brain to keep dealing with your life back home.
It provides stimulation for your brain
A brain may not function in exactly the same way as a muscle, but the phrase ‘use it, or lose it’ applies just as well. We need to keep using our brains, and stretching ourselves mentally, if we are to retain our mental acuity. Travel gives our brains new things to see and experience, and helps keep our curiosity alive and sated. Keeping ourselves mentally active is the key to avoiding many problems reported by older people, such as losing the ability to think so clearly. Travelling gives us the ability to keep ourselves awake mentally by keeping our senses open.
Stress is more easily dealt with in general
Let’s face it, a lot can go wrong when travelling. Times can be misread, connections can be missed, hotels can be overbooked (or not booked at all, horror of horrors)…there is a lot to potentially deal with when travelling, not to mention the stress of travelling itself. Being able to overcome and cope with these difficulties is key to helping you develop and keep methods of stress-relief, but they don’t have to be strictly kept to dealing with travel. Methods of dealing with stress are useful in all areas of life, and the methods you pick up to deal with the stresses which can be and are associated with travelling are ones which you can use in other areas of life as well.
