Your Brain Craves Travel

It happens to all of us – you wake up, you go through the robotic movements of your routine, you go to bed, and do it all over again in the morning. Then one morning, it happens – you find yourself in a rut. It’s time to change up your routine, and what better way to change your routine than to travel? When you travel, your brain health thrives. So, just how is travel beneficial to brain health? 4 ways your brain health benefits when you expand your horizons are:

• Creativity
• Happiness
• Activity
• Stronger bonds

Brain Health Benefits of Travel

1. Creativity. When you travel, your creativity switch is flipped on. Your brain is sensitive to change, so when you change your environment, you are stimulating your brain. Submerging yourself in a new environment will allow you to experience new sights, sounds, smells, and tastes! Exposing yourself to new cultures and new people will open up your mind in ways you probably aren’t used to. Your brain thrives when it has new experiences and interactions. Just keep in mind that travel alone will not boost creativity. You will need to have an open mind and completely immerse yourself in the culture and engage with the locals. Remember this: A more stimulated brain is a more creative one.
2. Happiness. A boost of happiness not only applies to your actual trip, but the days of anticipation before the vacation, and the days of relaxation after. Just think: Is anyone ever in a bad mood the few days before they leave for a trip that they’ve had booked for months? Most likely, no. Is anyone in an awful mood after their vacation? Again probably not. When you are on your vacation, you are away from all of your stressors from everyday life (as long as you are unplugging from technology). You are also more likely to be open to new friendships – most likely coming from a place of curiosity, whether it’s meeting fellow travelers, or creating bonds with locals. Social interactions make us happier, and our brain health will be in top shape with increased social life.
3. Activity. When you are on vacation, one of your goals is to see as many sights as possible. This, of course, means an increase in walking! When you walk the local streets, you get an idea of what everyday life is like, giving you a further look into the local culture. An added bonus: It’s been found that increased activity can reduce stress levels, and increase happiness! Your waistline will also thank you. As you try all of the local cuisines, walking is a great way to help balance out the upped food intake!
4. Stronger bonds. Whether you are traveling with a friend, significant other, or family member, chances are, you will make your relationship even stronger when you travel together. When you travel together, experiencing a new culture together can increase feeling of closeness. You’ll also, realistically, experience challenges together. When you travel, very rarely do things go perfectly. You’ll probably experience a hiccup with hotel arrangements, travel arrangements, or misreading a map and getting lost. Overcoming these challenges as a team will, without a doubt, increase your bond. Remember, your brain loves social interaction, and your brain will thank you when you have strong relationships. So, do we need to convince you anymore that you need a vacation? Life is too short to not experience all that you can. Get out there, expand your horizon and view of the world, and your brain will prosper!