Are you a businessperson with a consistently full diary? Or perhaps you have your hands full looking after your family? Whatever your story, leading a hectic lifestyle can mean not spending enough time focusing on your own mental health and wellbeing. Between juggling work, social and family responsibilities, it can feel hard to find the time – but practicing self-care is vital to avoid burning out.
Luckily, one effective way to boost your wellbeing is to pack your bags and head off on vacation. That’s right – there are many health benefits of traveling to take advantage of, from self-confidence boosts to reduced stress. Here, we explore how traveling is good for mental health.
When traveling, you’re likely to experience things that put you outside your comfort zone, especially if you’re discovering a new city, exploring a country that speaks another language, or taking part in adrenaline-fueled activities like skydiving. Navigating new or stressful situations is a great way to overcome fears or learn new skills, giving you a great sense of accomplishment afterwards. This will help to boost your confidence and self-esteem, showing that you can achieve whatever you put your mind to. Increased self-esteem may help you to achieve in many areas of your life, from successfully securing a new business deal to hitting a personal objective.
Another way that traveling is good for mental health is it helps to boost your mood. During vacations, you can fill your days doing things you enjoy, that you may not usually have time for with your busy schedule. From taking a dip in the ocean to skiing on the slopes, discovering a new city to hiking through a National Park – you can plan your trip around activities that make you happy. This will inevitably improve your mood and give you an increased feeling of satisfaction with life.
One of the great psychological benefits of travel is that it helps to reduce stress levels and anxiety. According to the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, studies have shown that vacations can alleviate stress by removing people from surroundings or activities that they associate with stress. They also say that allowing our brains to switch off and de-stress during vacations can help to reduce the risk of heart attack, improve sleep and enhance productivity.
Many types of vacations encourage you to be physically active, whether it’s walking around a beautiful city, cycling in an area of natural beauty, or swimming in the ocean. Wondering what this has to do with the mental health benefits of traveling? Well, exercise is said to have a hugely positive effect on our mental health. Harvard Medical School say that physical activity reduces stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, and boosts production of endorphins – often known as the ‘happy hormone’ as it triggers feelings of pleasure and positivity.
If you have a stressful job, or your diary is always full of work, social and family activities, it’s vital to take time out to rest and recharge. Not giving yourself enough time to look after your own health and wellbeing can result in burnout. Heading on vacation is the perfect way to completely switch off from the busy nature everyday life, as it gives you complete mental and physical space away from your usual work and home environment. This allows your brain to relax, rest and recharge, which will ultimately allow you to head back feeling completely refreshed.
If you’d like to enjoy some of the psychological benefits of travel by organizing your next trip, get in touch with us today. We can help you jet off to your chosen destination in the ultimate style and comfort on board one of our luxury private planes, which offer premium leather seats, a la carte dining and an experienced flight crew.
If you like to travel spontaneously as opportunities arise, then our Program membership may be the perfect solution for you. It allows you to jet off in as little as 24 hours and means you don’t have to worry about the responsibilities associated with owning your own aircraft – taking the stress out of flying privately. Don’t hesitate to contact our team today if you’d like to plan your next trip away.
