For a travelholic like me, staying in a city for months due to a pandemic was not easy.
With time I started to notice how it was not only affecting my physical health but taking a toll on my mental wellbeing. That is when I truly felt how adverse effects of Covid-19 are way more than what is being discussed in mainstream media. The moment travel restrictions were eased, I made sure to seize the opportunity to travel into the tranquillity of wilderness.
How does travelling help your mental?
Following are some of the reasons why travelling helps my mental health. This is by far not an extensive list:
- Helping You Calm: Imagine taking a break from your studies, work or whatever your regular routine looks like and booking a caravan with a bunch of your friends to camp around the mountains of Glenn Etive. I am sure, simply my imagines the sight, your mind must have left the calmness.
- Resetting Your Self: Some people can feel the impact of vacations for 5 weeks. Regularly visiting new places, exploring cultures, and meeting strangers can leave a pleasant impact on your mood that can stay for weeks ahead.
- Travelling For Your Wellbeing: Having new experiences increases your exposure, brain functionality and hence your mental wellbeing. Travelling has been linked to reducing stress and alleviating the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- Make It Personal: Make it about you. When travelling travel where you want to truly go. Travelling for work will not have the same impact as travelling for pleasure. Visiting your preferred locations will increase excitement and decrease cortisol levels.
As mentioned earlier, this is not an extensive list but my observations about the link between mental health and travelling. This can certainly vary between individuals. In the end, whatever works for you and your mental well-being, is the ideal formula.
