Why traveling is good for health and mental development. What gives us travel, why do we need them

It has been proven that tourist trips improve your health, broaden your horizons, while developing creative and mental abilities. In this article, we talk about five main factors why travel is useful and necessary for every person.

Image copyrights Moyan Brenn

1. Travel promotes imagination.

Nothing stimulates creativity like new experiences. Many famous writers, in particular Ernest Hemingway and Mark Twain, drew inspiration and ideas for subsequent works from their many travels.

Rest in an unfamiliar country or region will open up new sensations for you:

Try exotic dishes, visit famous sights, learn about local traditions, wander into unfamiliar places, and you will notice how all your senses acquire new strength and color, thereby renewing your health and vitality.

2. Traveling, like vitamins, strengthens your intelligence.

Mental abilities are developed by learning something new, both in early and in adulthood. A study by the US Travel Association found that visiting new places and fresh experiences positive influence for the prevention of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

3. Travel heals your heart

Traveling to new places, you not only expand your horizons and take a break from everyday hustle and bustle, but also strengthen the health of your heart. This fact was confirmed by scientists in the Framingham Heart Study: people who do not go on vacation for several years are significantly more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who travel at least once a year. Any trip for the purpose of relaxation is an excellent cure for stress.

4. Traveling keeps you "in shape."

Tourist trips and outdoor activities are a kind of sport: you move a lot, walk, walk, breathe fresh air, and even sitting on the bus and exploring unfamiliar surroundings, you burn more calories than sitting at home on the familiar sofa in front of a long-boring TV.

5. Travel improves mood and mental well-being.

Tourism is not only the journey itself, but also the planning of the trip, the anticipation of adventures, new discoveries, the joyful return home - all that adds to your life happiness and, therefore, peace of mind.

A 2014 Cornell research study survey showed that people experience more joy in the anticipation of a tourist trip than, for example, in anticipation new purchase. Moreover, any trip is usually accompanied by new purchases, and not vice versa.

Feel free to be happy, travel as often as possible: your health will thank you.

Everyone says how important it is to travel. So what is the benefit? The benefits of travel are not just a one-time event: travel changes you physically and psychologically. Lack of time or money is not a valid excuse. You can easily fly cheap. if you have permanent job and family, you can still travel on weekends or holidays even with a child. The Uturist portal publishes a lot of interesting materials on travel, tourism and outdoor activities. Even just reading a fascinating article and looking at the photos will lift your spirits, not to mention the pleasure of planning a trip and then looking forward to it.

Unusual types of tourism, such as sports tours, significantly improve health. From reducing stress to reducing your chances of developing heart disease, the health benefits of travel are enormous. You can sit in a chair all day, but even after a simple walk you will feel much better. For some people, wandering abroad is even a cure for depression and anxiety. Travel can help you feel better, both physically and mentally. Travel is more likely to have a huge impact on your mental well-being, especially if you're not used to getting out of your comfort zone. Thus, travel, tourism and outdoor activities will allow you to feel the quality new level life in all its aspects. The Uturist portal has a lot of interesting articles that will surely help you choose an interesting direction.

We tend to be so passionate about our everyday life that sometimes just sticking to the usual routine can cause more harm than good. Is your boss fed up with his errands? Do kids drive you crazy? Are your parents trying to force you to live your life? How long can you handle this pressure before everything bursts and falls apart? Sometimes the best thing to do is to take a step back, take a deep breath and go on a journey - this is the best way to break out of the daily routine and refresh your brain.

Get used to new words different languages every time you travel and you will see improvements in your brain power. It's even more than just languages - traveling helps you get to know yourself. You may run into difficult situations where you need to be resourceful and think differently. You will most likely develop a new set of skills that you didn't even know existed. Being more understanding and tolerant of a new culture is part of a skill useful for travel. A quote from St. Augustine would be appropriate, which says: "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page of it."

Why do people travel? Is it really just to take a break from work for 2 weeks, spend the money accumulated over six months and create the illusion that “they can afford it”?

You've been going for a long time. But work-home-family-responsibilities-loans and other excuses do not allow you to even exhale to understand what changes you need. You continue to run at the usual crazy pace of life, without doing anything.

Stop!

Think, look at your life from a different angle, decide what you lack now and what prevents you from living in harmony with yourself. Does not work? Then here's a working tip for you: get out of the house and go a little further than the usual route home-work-shop-home.

Leaving your familiar surroundings, even for a short time, turn your life into a journey full of uncertainty, and you will be able to know yourself from the most unexpected sides.

Why travel when home is good

Are you afraid of the unknown? This is fine. Fear of the new is an ordinary phenomenon in the life of every person. But weigh all the benefits of travel and your fear - are they on the same scale? Let's see what travel teaches us and whether it is worth it to actively look for excuses, protecting your fears.

What travel can teach

1. You will get off the couch.

Thinking about the upcoming voyage, we begin to worry about the difficulties that lie in wait for tourists. We are worried that we will not find a place to sleep, we will not be able to communicate with the inhabitants of another country in our broken English. What does travel teach? The fact that all of the above fears are in vain. Gather your courage, focus on your goal and hit the road. It's a mistake to think that travel is either a round-the-world trip where you burn all your bridges, or a package vacation that limits you to an all-inclusive package. How much do you know about the surroundings of your city? About the life of the inhabitants of neighboring villages? Surely, there are many interesting things near you. Start discovering the world small.

2. Travel changes the worldview.

The first thing he learns after visiting different states is that exotic places are not as dangerous as they seem. In any city you can feel comfortable. This rule also applies to wildlife: observing elementary rules security, you are guaranteed to avoid trouble. Moreover, in a metropolis, a person is more likely to die (for example, getting hit by a car) than in a desert or forest.

3. You will constantly expand your horizons.

What is travel for? To know the world and get acquainted with the culture of other peoples. Do not worry about the friendliness of people: the natives always treat travelers with courtesy and try to help them. If you are not from the category of Tagil fans, do not spoil their heritage and do not laugh at the culture of the country in which you are a guest, then traveling will definitely bring you new acquaintances and faith in people. Many people will gladly provide you with accommodation, show you the way, tell you about the interesting sights of their country.

4. You don't have to be a millionaire to see the world.

Travel more and you will realize that you do not need to spend millions for this. Big money is needed only for those who dream of a sea cruise to exotic islands. Although, if you make friends with the locals, these expenses can be easily avoided. Organizing travel on your own, you only need to have a small amount of cash to buy food, pay for transport and hotel rooms or places in hostels. Living in the latter, by the way, despite its cheapness, can give you a huge amount of experience and impressions.

What kind of travel should I do if I have a modest budget?

Rest on a grand scale, which the Russian soul requires, in fact turns out to be completely superfluous: without wasting money, you will spend your time much more interesting than buying and ordering whatever you want. And the main trophy will be the emotions and discoveries that you make for yourself. A two-day backpacking trip into the woods will do more than you can get from spending two weeks in a five-star all-inclusive hotel.

5. Things are just things.

Beginner tourists consider it their duty to take on the road 10 suitcases with outfits for all occasions and full equipment in case of the end of the world. But over time, travel teaches that an abundance of luggage only gets in the way. A person on the road (as in life) needs a minimum of clothes, two pairs of shoes, hygiene products, money and documents.

You can’t decide which of the two T-shirts to take with you, and in the end you put both in your backpack. Why are you willing to make your life difficult? Learn to make a choice, starting with such trifles.

When you start traveling, you will realize that you absolutely do not need most of the things you have, and you can safely get rid of them, freeing up space in the closet. The same applies to unnecessary emotions, unnecessary worries, uninteresting people and habitual obligations - by getting rid of such “trash”, you will make room for a new one.

6. Find out how a tourist differs from a traveler.

Travelers and tourists are not the same thing. The former communicate with local residents, get acquainted with traditions, make new acquaintances, change their worldview and improve their lives. The second timidly glance at everything that happens from the windows of the bus. Tourists are "bred" by locals for money, and they share food and shelter with travelers. Traveling changes people and teaches them to be simpler and not be afraid to learn new things, teach them to be open with others and appreciate every person who appears in life.

7. Travel is not a vacation.

You have probably heard more than once how travel changes many people, making them stronger and more resilient. And you yourself actively travel to Cyprus and Turkey, but you don’t notice any changes ... And this is not because hiking in the mountains or tundra with a heavy backpack is a workout for the body. Not because in the most harmless resort town you can be left without money or get into difficult situation. It's just that when traveling, you don't aim to "lie down" under a palm tree, relieving stress from work or family. You are changing the very way of life from the usual to an improved version of it. Travel can be physically hard, but it can be mind-numbing. Therefore, they are not looking for physical relief, they give much more than relaxed muscles.

8. You are your best friend and travel companion.

Unable to find fellow travelers to travel with cheerful company? This is only to your advantage. Not better way understand yourself, the world, and cultivate fortitude than solo travel. Traveling alone is an experience like no other. Relying only on your own strength, you will begin to believe in yourself more and learn to make responsible decisions on your own. This will make it easier for you to connect with new people, try new things, and take on unfamiliar roles because you won't have to look back at anyone or be afraid of anyone's judgment.

The heroine of Reese Witherspoon in the movie “Wild” went on a similar journey after the upheavals in her life: overcoming the difficulties of the route on a solo trip, she was able to save herself from mental suffering. If you can’t deal with, perhaps a solo trip - what will help you now?

9. The world is small.

Long journeys have changed the minds of millions of people that our planet is vast. It only seems like that when you watch other countries on TV. In reality, it is possible that you will meet your acquaintances when you leave for Cambodia, India or Kamchatka. Or, in a quiet, remote corner of the world, meet someone from your hometown.

Travel more and don't be afraid to talk to people, look for . Perhaps one of the billions of people who will change your life will meet you where you did not suspect.

10. The joy of returning.

No matter how good it is on the way, returning home is a joyful moment for every person. Arriving in your hometown, you will be glad to meet your relatives, work colleagues. And the changes that will happen to you on the journey will certainly affect your life. And if you want to change your life now, try to start at least with a short trip to an unfamiliar place.

The tourism industry has been considered one of the most stable sectors of the economy for many years, even in a crisis, tours do not stop, but what does travel give a person?

Apparently, it is tourism that gives people the opportunity to feel something that is inaccessible to him in other ways? Let's try to figure out what can contribute to a regular craving for travel, exotic and knowledge of the world?

Why do people travel?

Since such a mass of completely different people strive to travel, then, apparently, in this they find something they need exclusively for themselves. And different people in tourism are found completely various virtues, which include:

elementary rest option;
opportunity to broaden one's own horizons interesting people and other culture;
getting emotions and new life experience;
job search abroad;
a selection of collections of amazing photographs or the preparation of materials for work;
observing natural wonders and teaching respect for nature;
acquaintance with museums, galleries, historical places;
exciting shopping and much more.

The tangible benefits of travel

During the journey, people not only get acquainted with other ways of life and
cultures, but also enriched spiritually.

And, thanks to new knowledge and impressions, their personality is gradually transformed.

During the trip, you suddenly find out:

It doesn't take a mountain of things to be happy. A minimum of clothing and equipment is enough.
There are striking changes in character in the form of increased emancipation and reduced shyness.
The ability to quickly adapt to a new place increases.
Out-of-the-box and flexible thinking develops.
The psyche is strengthened and, thanks to this, the ability to take a hit.

Somehow I came across an expression that travel gives freedom to a person. And indeed it is. What does our life usually look like at home? Continuous planning of actions ahead for a long period.

After all, at home you can predict in advance what will happen in a week or a month later. Because we are all caught between duty and responsibilities, work and family. Every day is like the previous one. And it's impossible to foresee anything while traveling.

A person who travels a lot has no business meetings and traffic jams, no duties and assignments.

Exclusively own desires and opportunities. Nothing else that can interfere with a good rest and life.

What travel gives people, let's try to systematize. To all, without exception, they grant:

opportunities for personal growth;
a lot of interesting new non-binding acquaintances;
contribute to the expansion of horizons, thanks to acquaintance with new countries, traditions, cultures and even dishes;
allow you to improve the body, as during travel the hormone endorphin is released, it is also called the “hormone of happiness”. This hormone helps the body age more slowly by tuning in to positive thoughts;
spiritual enrichment. Information about another spiritual culture, regardless of religious denomination, has a beneficial effect on the human soul.

Are there any contraindications for travel?

As such, contraindications for travel are unknown to science, except perhaps your own unwillingness or lack of readiness to travel alone. The reasons may be different: poor health or moral aspects.

In any case, you should not force yourself to go on the road by force. It is better to look for the root cause of the appearance of unwillingness or unwillingness, eliminate it, and only after that hit the road.

After all, all our trips to various countries It is a kind of psychological training. The only difference is that there are no game options for exercises, because everything happens completely for real.

But this is exactly what allows you to get from your trip a lot of those positive emotions and impressions that travel gives a person.