Benefits Of Traveling (Science)

The benefits of traveling are reflected in our physical and emotional health. Traveling makes us happier and can even reduce the risk of having a heart attack. So why not do it?

Even when we can have a job we love and an active social life, nothing can compare to the experience a trip can provide. Visiting other places changes our perspective of the world and, through people, culture, clothes, food and music we appreciate more how wonderful it is to live. People who travel constantly, such as digital nomads know how stimulating and exciting it can be.

Whether you travel to another country or the next town you live in, traveling is an experience that is not only enjoyed, but also translates into benefits to our health and mood.

According to a study conducted in the United Kingdom, people feel particularly happy when vacations are approaching, because this can mean travel. The excitement of choosing the destination, buying the plane tickets, preparing the suitcase and waiting for the trip in general usually cause a lot of joy. This is due, according to the study's argument, to the fact that the level of the pleasant effect on people changes positively and, consequently, increases their well-being. In addition, another study suggests that the anticipation of the trip may be even more pleasant than waiting to acquire a material good.

When work is something that really overwhelms us, traveling is not always for the purpose of knowing new places, but simply to get away, as much as possible, from the negative things in our lives. According to the stress survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, vacations and travel can help manage stress and negative emotions because they eliminate the environments and activities that are sources of our stress. It is even believed that a trip can help restore our emotions, making us more compassionate in certain situations.

And, who would be depressed while traveling on a Caribbean cruise? In cities, life passes much faster and, between the constant bustle of work and traffic while driving, it can cause serious problems of depression and irritability, which in turn directly influences general well-being. According to the results of the study conducted by the Marsh field Clinic in Wisconsin, women who travel only once every two years are more likely to suffer from depression and stress than women who go on vacation at least twice a year.

Changing the house or office and the activities we do every day for a different environment with different activities can bring a lot of benefits on a psychological level; For example, the mind can restore, like the body, the accumulated effects of being subjected to long periods of stress.

As the followers of the minimalist lifestyle preach, material possessions do not always provide true happiness and, if they do, it is a momentary happiness because material things become old, wear out and depreciate. Not so pleasant experiences like traveling. Both long and short trips are an accumulation of enriching experiences due to exposure to totally new environments to which we are accustomed; such as culture, traditions and travel perspectives. That fact was revealed in a study conducted by Cornell University that showed that buying travel experiences makes us happier in the long term than buying material things.

Although heart attacks are on the rise for different causes related to food and lack of physical activity, studies have found that men who do not usually take vacations for several years are 30% more likely to have a heart attack. On the contrary, men who travel regularly are 21% less likely to suffer such an attack. Women who travel only once every six years are eight times more likely to suffer a heart attack.

Although the findings seem surprising, it is clear that travelers tend to be more active than people who spend most of their time in an office chair. Hiking, mountaineering, snorkeling and walking are activities that travelers often do and that increase the physical and mental health of those who do them.