Traveling doesn’t come cheap but there are ways you can do so affordably. Though some people think the money you spend on these trips would be better kept in your savings account, no money can amount to the wonderful memories, experiences, and learnings you acquire in every journey you take. As the saying goes: “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”
Despite the financial aspect, traveling is greatly beneficial for one’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Going on an adventure and pushing yourself out of your usual habits and routine means allowing yourself to breathe a different atmosphere, look for more opportunities, and open your mind to a great range of new possibilities.
There are handful and more advantages traveling can give us. So if you’re thinking about going on a solo trip or contemplating whether or not you should go plan one with your friends, here are 6 benefits of traveling that should seal your decisions and finally book a trip to your preferred destination.
Traveling eases stress
Don’t you feel good after a travel trip? Sure, you’re dreading the end of your vacation but the feeling of lower stress levels and more rested than you were days ago before your journey is priceless. Also, it keeps you in a better mood for days or even weeks to come.
Whenever you’re burdened with a lot of stress at work to the point you bring it with you when you get home, take a break and bring yourself in a new environment. Shake off the stress and rejuvenate yourself.
Try out new things
When you keep yourself at home or stick to a non-motivating daily routine of home-work-home, you might be preventing yourself from finding your full potential. Yes, work and career is important—it puts food on the table and a roof over your head. But does this mean you’ll put your passion or hobbies; or keeping yourself from trying out something new aside for a long time?
Try and do something new each day. It doesn’t have to be a huge thing. Something as small as trying a new food in the menu or dining at a new restaurant can lead to bigger things. Traveling pushes you out of your box and forces you to try new and exciting things. It also teaches you to be more spontaneous and do more instead of sticking to your comfort zone.
Traveling improves your mental health
Your mental health can be easily deterred when left uncared for especially when you’re drowning yourself with work problems, issues, and stress. A lot of people struggle with mental health problems, fortunately, there are healthy ways you can combat it such as putting yourself out there and escaping the chaos at work even just for a bit.
You can plan a self-journey to conquering and keeping your mental health at bay by traveling long-term or how you prefer.
Traveling cultivates creativity
You may have noticed this or not and you may agree or not, but most if not all of the travelers you’ll meet are highly creative people with an overflowing of creative juices and colorful imagination and ideas. They also go on various activities that helps inspire them.
If a time comes that you find yourself in a creative block or stuck in a rut, pick up your travel bag and go. Who knows what could inspire you along the way and throughout the journey.
Traveling teaches you independence
You’ll learn and develop your independence when traveling may it be with a group or solo. How so? It will challenge you thru unforeseen circumstances you’d otherwise rely on others to solve it for you. Facing this obstacles by yourself or working with others help improve your strength and independence. You’ll continue to surprise yourself with it.
Traveling increases your self-esteem
If you’re someone who always underestimate your own capability and worth, challenge yourself to go on adventures, big or small—walk a different route to work/home, tour a museum, go on a hike; go on a solo adventure and while you’re at it, approach your fellow travelers when you travel. Let it test and allow it to overcome your self-doubt. This will eventually help boost your self-esteem.
Traveling puts us in a good state and it teaches us a lot of values, turns us to various perspectives, develops our abilities and acquire more, and offers us a handful more of other advantages. It’s not always going to be good but every single experience are worth learning from.
About the author: An adventurer at heart, Chie Suarez aims to finish her travel bucket list before she hits 40. For the meantime, she writes for Holiday Inn Parramatta Accommodation—stay and experience the historical part of Sydney whether for business or leisure.