Recent studies show, however, that by adding a small habit in your life, you can significantly reduce stress and decrease negative thoughts. Walking in nature is found to decrease the flow of blood to the area of the brain linked to mental illness. The three main mental health benefits from exercising in nature are:

1. It reduces stress

2. It works as an antidepressant – Walking in nature every day has been shown to be as helpful in helping manage depression as antidepressants, in those with mild cases.

3. It decreases negative thoughts – A recent study by Stanford found that participants saw an decrease in negative thoughts and an increase in their cognitive function after walking in nature.

Learn more about the recent research on the topic in this infographic:

The infographic was created by Physiomed.

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You might decide you want to take the trip of a lifetime if you settle an insurance claim or inherit a cash windfall. Even if you don’t get unexpected money, however, you can still travel. There are ways to make travel affordable and attainable, no matter what your budget is.

The following are some of the reasons to make travel a part of your life.

Relieve Stress

Most of us face stress everyday of our lives, and with all that’s going on in the world right now, we may be facing higher stress than we ever considered. Most people have been self-isolating for months, they may be dealing with anxiety about the coronavirus, and the George Floyd protests have created stress for much of the world as well. These are stresses that are added on top of everything else we might deal with in our daily lives. Traveling allows you to step back from the stress of your daily life. When you travel, you can take your mind off the things causing you the most stress, and that can have a physical effect on you. For example, when you relax and travel, it can reduce your cortisol levels, which helps you feel less anxious but can also help your cardiovascular health.

When you free yourself from stress and the general elements of your daily life, you might also rethink things more creatively or become more productive. Maybe you find a solution for an ongoing problem in your life, or perhaps you return from your travels recharged and ready to tackle work differently. When you travel, you’re breaking your routines, and that can mean you break negative cycles that could impact your physical or mental health. For example, if you suffer from depression, breaking your negative cycles can help you.

Boost Your Mental Strength

When you travel it can help you feel more confident because you’re taking on challenges and new experiences. That can help you in other areas if you feel confident and mentally strong in a variety of settings and situations. Traveling can also have unexpected hurdles and when you overcome these, and you think on your feet it will allow you to do the same in other parts of your life.

Improve Your Communication Skills

When you travel, you have to communicate with many different people, and you do so outside of your comfort zone. These people may not be native English speakers, and they may come from different backgrounds than people you would interact with at home. All of these factors then help you learn how to communicate with people you don’t know in general. If you’re shy, this can be especially empowering for you. If you travel solo, it’s especially imperative that you communicate with the people around you during your travels.

You’re Active

When you’re traveling, you are probably going to be more active than you would be at home. At home, you might spend most of your time sitting at your desk. When you’re traveling, you might walk for miles in a big city, go hiking, or do outdoor activities like paddle boarding or kayaking that maybe you wouldn’t do at home. When you’re more active, this can help your mental health, but it can also help your sleep patterns and elements of your physical health.

Reduce Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States, but traveling can reduce some of the risk factors. For example, men’s risk of death goes down by 21% when they take vacations, and it reduces their death from cardiovascular disease by 32%. For women, a lack of vacations is linked to a higher risk of death from heart disease.
Research has shown women who go on trips more often are less likely to become depressed, tired, or tense.

Improved Family Relationships

Your social support is integral to both your physical and mental health. If you travel with your spouse, your family, or a loved one, it can improve those relationships and strengthen your bonds. This will improve your overall sense of well-being. While travel has been somewhat disrupted in 2020 because of coronavirus, it’s starting to come back, and it may be the opportunity to daydream and think ahead to the next trip you’d like to take.

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A brand new cure for bad mood, lack of concentration and social anxiety has been discovered. It’s free, available everywhere (no prescription required) and you can start it right now. It’s called… ‘One week without Facebook’.

Although it sounds like common sense, this was actually confirmed in a recent study by the Happiness Research Institute in Denmark – and it’s hard not to believe the Danish, who are always close to the top in global happiness rankings.

The experiment

More than 1,000 active daily Facebook users aged between 16 and 76 were separated into two groups. The first group continued with its normal Facebook habits, while the second group was put on a Facebook fast for a week. All participants filled out a questionnaire before and after the experiment to assess various aspects of their lives.

Live Facebook-less for a week to be happier | Adam Jang/Unsplash

The benefits of quitting Facebook for a week

Those who abstained from using the social network reported a range of positive changes in their lives:

Better social life.

Easier concentration.

Better mood.

Less wasted time.

A greater sense of overall calm.

Why is that?

One of the main reasons why ignoring Facebook seems good for our mood and overall happiness is that it gives us a break from the constant desire to compare ourselves to our peers.

“We look at a lot of data on happiness and one of the things that often comes up is that comparing ourselves to our peers can increase dissatisfaction,” explained Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen.

The next big challenge for researchers is to determine how long the positive effects last.

“I’d like to try for a year, but we’d have to see how many volunteers we get for that,” Wiking said.

So, challenge accepted?

Read more:

Fact! The surprising secret to a happy vacation!

10+ facts about travel, backed by science

How to practice aylyak in Bulgaria and be happy

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