World Mental Health Day, celebrated annually on 10 October, is the perfect opportunity to remind ourselves of the importance of looking after our mental health. Just like physical health, it’s an aspect of life that requires effort, consistency and dedication. While the world has changed significantly for the better in this regard, we can never be too diligent about ensuring our minds stay balanced and healthy. That’s why, in honour of World Mental Health Day and in support of mental health journeys, Expat Explore is continuing our journey into the mental health benefits of regular travel and the ways you can ensure you reap the rewards for longer.
Related: Recap the most common health benefits of global travel!
Here’s how regular travel can impact your mental health:
Productivity up, burnout down
By now, many people are aware of the stress-relieving effect of an overseas trip. However, did you know that travelling regularly (as often as your schedule and budget allow) can positively affect your productivity levels and even reduce your chances of burnout?
Creativity up, problems down
Travelling is also known for expanding your worldview and changing your perspective. In fact, the more you travel, the more your mind opens up to other ways of thinking. Over time, this can positively impact your creativity levels and even enhance your problem-solving abilities.
Resilience up, challenges down
We all know that travelling isn’t always a smooth experience. Sometimes, we hit small snags along the way that require quick thinking and composure. Well, frequent exposure to these types of situations while in a more relaxed vacation environment can help build your resilience and ultimately leave you ready and capable of handling any type of situation.
Now that you have a clearer idea of the benefits of travelling regularly, you likely want to ensure you can tap into those benefits as much as possible!
Here’s how to enjoy the mental health benefits of travel for longer:
Make it a habit
The first surefire way to ensure you get the most out of the mental and physical benefits of travelling is to incorporate it into your life regularly. Now, we understand that a trip abroad is something most people have to budget or save up for. Regular travel doesn’t have to mean stretching yourself beyond your financial limits. In fact, that would probably have the opposite effect on your mental health. Instead, assess your annual budget and see how much you can realistically afford to save or dedicate to travel in a year.
From there, it’s as easy as calculating how long you’d need to save up and how regularly you’d be able to travel. For example, if you can realistically and comfortably save up half of a trip’s cost in a year, that means you could probably realistically afford to travel every two years.
Go somewhere new
Of course, there’s something magical about falling in love with your favourite vacation destination and visiting it whenever you have the opportunity. However, changing it up and trying something new every time you travel is a great way of promoting cognitive flexibility.
Not only will you gain valuable alternative perspectives on life and learn to adapt to almost any situation, but you’ll also build up an irreplaceable memory bank of unique and fulfilling life experiences.
Related: Check out the top travel trends of the year!
Personalise your trip
It’s natural to gravitate towards the popular and must-see attractions and destinations when we travel because it creates a sense of belonging or forming part of a community based on a shared experience. However, it’s just as important to tailor your trip to your likes and interests. This will ensure that you get as much joy and satisfaction out of your trip as possible, increasing your cortisol levels and ultimately leaving you with lasting mental health benefits in the long run.
Similarly, if you’re travelling with a romantic partner, including experiences tailored to each individual is a great way to get to know each other and build a strong foundation for taking part in each other’s lives.
Related: Discover more about building relationships while you travel!
Plan long in advance
Sure, few things are as exciting as a last-minute trip that gets the adrenaline rushing and kicks the planning into overdrive. But this type of self-induced stress is not always the best approach if you’re on a mental health journey. So, rather try to plan your trips long in advance. You’ll find many benefits of opting for this approach!
First, it creates a sense of expectation and excitement for the future. In other words, you’ll have something to look forward to! Then, it also allows you to spend lots of time researching all the things you want to do (and even saving up for all of them). This also reduces the last-minute anxiety before your trip since you will have planned for most scenarios. Lastly, you can sometimes get the best deals on travel packages if you book long enough in advance, leaving you less stressed out about your budget too!
Related: Try out these tips to stay on budget while you travel!
We hope these tips and benefits help you better craft your approach to your mental health, whether it includes travelling or not. But if it does, you can celebrate World Mental Health Day with the trip of a lifetime!
With so many mental and physical health benefits of travelling, the only thing left to do is pick a destination. Book a trip with Expat Explore, and start creating more memories for your money!