Those who love to travel will all agree that seeing new places and trying new things makes us happier. But can it also be good for our mental health, physical health and creativity? Research shows that the benefits reach far further than many of us might realise.
How can travel make us healthier?
According to a survey conducted by the US Travel Association, travel can actually prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. More generally, it can improve our mental health no end, as the study also found it improves our outlook on life. This isn’t just while you’re on holiday, but also in the build-up, as simply knowing you’re about to embark on a trip away lifts the spirits.
The physical benefits are multiple too. Travel’s been found to strengthen the heart, as it makes you less stressed which eases the pressure on this vital organ. You’re also generally more active when travelling than when at home, and normally enjoying fresher air.
How can travel boost creativity?
If you live a life where one day is pretty much the same as the next, you lack stimulation when it comes to thinking of new ideas. But travel compels you to see new places, smell new aromas, try new foods, immerse yourself in new cultures. And by meeting people who see the world in a very different way to how you do, it rewires your brain, enabling you to think of ideas and solutions that would otherwise have never entered your head.
It’s this constant stimulation of the senses that has led to great minds reaching their height of creativity while overseas. Writers Ernest Hemingway and Mark Twain are two such examples, both of whom spent time in southern Europe, picking up ideas as well as suntans.
Working from home allows us to ‘work on the go’
This used to be the sole domain of the self-employed freelancer who could, in many cases, work from anywhere with a Wi-Fi signal.
But since the start of the pandemic, bosses have increasingly realised that working away from the office is viable and can be just as productive.
This doesn’t mean it’s a given that they’ll let you tootle off around the country while you work from a train, a cafe, a beach or goodness knows where else. But it does increase the likelihood that they’ll say yes if you’ve built up trust over the years. You never know your luck!
So travel is indeed good for the mind and body, as well as the soul. And the more chances we get to see new places – be we on holiday or at work – the better it will be for us in the long run.
