Ways in Which Travel Influences your MindSet
Written by blogger Betty White.
All over the world, in the 21st century – people lead an incredible and unprecedented variety of different lifestyles. This contemporary era of technology and a globalized economy has allowed us a hitherto unimaginable level of diversity and choice when it comes to our personal lives. And yet, as individually different as we are; there are still some common traits that bind us all together.
For instance – most people like to travel. If you’re someone who does, you’ll find yourself agreeing with most of what I’ll go over here. And if you’re not a budding traveler already – I’m here to change your mind!
It’s Life-Changing
Once you start traveling more, you’ll realize something very important about traveling. Changing our scenery is more than just a passing experience; it’s something that can alter your life in a lot of different ways. Most obviously – using up your vacation days for traveling to interesting destinations expands your worldview. As you make yourself more open to new experiences, your day-to-day comfort zone will become wider.
In due time, you’ll even find yourself more easily accustomed to big changes in your life; when you travel all the time, these seem far less sudden and forceful than they are. For people who travel, a stress-free relocation across the country is something entirely possible; while such a move would make others cower at such a huge change.
And stepping outside your established comfort zone is quite important; that’s a tool that’s vital to our growth as individuals. Opening yourself up helps break down any social and psychological barriers that hold you back from personal progress. Once you manage to conquer your fears or anxiety triggers; you will become a better version of yourself.
Your Mood Will Change
Take a moment to think back on the times when you were a kid; remember how your mood changed for the better whenever you experienced something new and exciting? Unfortunately, when we enter adulthood; such interesting situations become far more scarce. But that’s where traveling comes in! One of the ways in which travel influences our mindset is the fact that we simply feel better when we visit a new place. Be honest with yourself; once you step off that plane, you feel more lighthearted and excited than you have in months before.
All of the worries that were a part of your daily life get left behind; you fully get to enjoy the novelty of this new environment, as you start looking for ways to navigate the area. In one fell swoop, all of the stress triggers from your daily life get completely swept away. There’s a reason why people go on vacations instead of just staying home and not working; you need to reset yourself from time to time.
Recharging Your Energy
Did you know that the average American clocks in around 40-60 hours of work each week; while often skipping vacations in order to save money? As anyone working hard will tell you – sometimes, the cash you save from not traveling anywhere just isn’t worth it. Occasional traveling is basically necessary; it allows you to give your mental health a brief respite from every-day worries.
Regardless of how hard you want to work; at some point, it simply stops being worth it. After a while, your brain demands a break from constant work. Perhaps even more crucially, your body needs a shakeup after sitting at a desk, day in and day out. Instead, you may want to travel to a distant place, and let your body soak up some vitamin D on a beach. Connect with your inner self, and reset your emotions – allow yourself to recharge.
New Perspective On Life
Even if you reap no other benefit from traveling – you will enjoy the new perspective on life that it grants you. For most people, that’s the best way travel influences our mindset. Going to a completely new place, with completely different people that don’t surround you on a daily basis; this gives you a new viewpoint on your own life, the way you spend your free time, and really a fresh look at who you are.
This process allows you to experience new cultures, whose intricacies you probably haven’t been aware of. Such new people will accompany you on a variety of new adventures, that will contain both good and bad experiences. But most importantly – these events will be new. Something that you haven’t seen before. And constant exposure to new surroundings will shape you into becoming a more rounded individual, capable of making more objective everyday judgments.
You Won’t Regret It
If you’re not someone who’s used to traveling a lot, and you’re thinking of making that leap into a new aspect of your lifestyle; you should know one thing. No matter what happens, or what kind of practical complications you encounter; once you come back, you won’t regret it. While you may think that you have a fulfilled life at home, there’s no way of knowing that until you actually leave it and go somewhere else.
With that in mind, open yourself up to the idea of traveling more regularly. Obviously, no-one expects you to go from a completely sedentary lifestyle to trekking through the Amazon jungles. But on the other hand, you should plan out a simple road trip for the next year, and see how you like it. Chances are that you won’t regret putting yourself out there, in a very literal meaning of the phrase! When people say that it’s about the journey more than the destination, that’s more than a worn-out adage; in reality, it’s pretty much an absolute truth.
