There are so many reasons to love and appreciate an opportunity to travel. When traveling, you get to see new places, meet new people, and try new things. It’s exhilarating and full of learning experiences. What you may not know is that travel also has the research-backed potential to benefit your mental health.
Overview: What Is Mental Health?
Mental health encompasses your emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Not everyone has a mental health condition or disorder, but everyone has mental health. Simultaneously, everyone has mental health needs.
How Travel Boosts Mental Health
Here are some of the ways that travel can give your mental health a boost:
- Travel can help you de-stress. Research shows that travel can help you feel less stressed out, not just during your trip but for weeks following said trip. Stress is a known health detriment that can negatively impact your mental and physical well-being as well as other areas of life, such as work and relationships, so this alone is a powerful benefit of travel.
Photo by Debbie Ducic on Unsplash - Travel gives you something to look forward to. Research shows that the act of planning and anticipating a trip can give you a boost in mood.
- Travel may promote overall happiness. A recent study found that frequent travelers are statistically happier than those who do not travel by about 7%. While this could be due to a number of factors, it is an interesting fact nonetheless.
- Travel can support creativity. A 2013 study found that multicultural learning experiences have the potential to enhance creativity.
Photo by Mesut Kaya on Unsplash
It’s crucial to have a break in your routine every now and again, and these are all excellent reasons as to why. If you’re someone who loves to travel, you likely know the ways in which it’s advantageous for you.
When You Need Extra Support
Travel is incredible, but of course, it’s not a replacement for mental health treatment or the need for mental health support. No one is immune to mental health conditions, life challenges, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships or other areas of life, including travelers.
If you find yourself facing prolonged stress, trouble sleeping, a low mood, symptoms of a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression, grief and loss, or if you simply need someone to talk to, it’s important to reach out to a medical or mental health professional who can help.
Online Therapy
Online therapy is an excellent way to get the support that you need from the privacy of your own home or anywhere with a reliable internet connection. When you use a reputable online therapy platform such as MyTherapist, it’s easy to get started with a counselor or therapist faster.
When you sign up, you’ll take a short questionnaire that’ll help you match with a provider who meets your needs. All of the providers on the MyTherapist platform are licensed, and it’s easy to switch providers or cancel services if you need to.
Online therapy is often more affordable than traditional in-person counseling or therapy is in the absence of insurance, and of course, there are a number of reasons as to why it’s a great option for travelers. Whether you see someone online or in person, you deserve to see your mental health flourish and get the support that you need, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
