Trips outside the place of residence are of great importance for the health of the body and spirit. They can reduce stress, encourage movement, strengthen relationships with family and friends, and stimulate the intellect. However, you have to be careful not to overdo it with frequency, or force yourself to travel, e.g. under the pressure of advertisements or boasting from friends.
Restrictions are harmful
Restrictions on travel opportunities – reduced frequency of trips and fewer places visited – are taking a toll on health, researchers from University College London have just reported. The researchers surveyed nearly 3,000 people in the north of England. One of the mechanisms of the restrictions turned out to be the deterioration of social life. The researchers classified a change of location of at least 25 km as a trip. “These results confirm the importance of the ability to travel outside the area of residence for social life and health.
They stress the need for policies that reduce travel restrictions by making it easier to use both private and public transportation, allowing more frequent trips to more destinations,” the researchers write in the Journal of Transport & Health.
A need, not a luxury
A study conducted by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies and the Global Coalition on Aging told us more about how traveling can support the body and psyche. It was attended by 1,500 Americans aged 25 or older. More than 71% of respondents reported that travel helps them enjoy their current stage of life. 86 percent said they helped them maintain a positive attitude, 78 percent said they reduced stress, 75 percent said they supported friendships, 75 percent said they stimulated their intellect, and 70 percent said they supported their health.
Almost half said that travel is actually a necessity for them, not a luxury. Trips can have a positive impact on these areas in various ways. Almost all of the respondents believed that they help to spend time with family and friends, to do the things they love with their loved ones, and to facilitate physical and intellectual activity. At the same time, and in light of these results, many both retirees and working people considered travel to be one of their priorities.
Buy Experiences, Not Items
These results are supported by more general studies on the effects of various types of purchases. Well, as they point out, it is more fortunate to spend money on experiences than on more items. Travel is certainly an experience, and one that is usually remembered for a long time. It turns out, however, that buying a pleasant experience has another special advantage. Researchers from Cornell University have noticed that waiting for such an experience is perceived more positively than waiting for a material purchase. ‘We found this effect in four surveys of a variety of planned spending, a large-scale diary-based study, and an analysis of archival media reports of people queuing for purchases,’ the researchers report.
Travel really educates
A series of student studies published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that living in another country for a while stimulates creativity. “Experience gained in other countries has long been a classic recipe for artists to stimulate their imagination and improve their technique. But does living abroad make people more creative?” asks Professor William Maddux of Northwestern University, lead author of the study.
It seems to us that we have started to answer this question for a long time in our work” – he emphasizes. His team also noticed an additional correlation. Observations of young people who returned from abroad showed that their creativity grew more strongly the better the person adapted to life in another country. “This indicates that there is some kind of psychological transformation that needs to happen in order for people living in a foreign country to become more creative. This can happen when people try to adapt to a new culture,” says Dr. Adam Galinsky.
Moderation is important
As the saying goes, too much is too much. This also applies to travel. These issues have been brought to the attention of experts from the University of Surrey, who have noticed, m.in, a dangerous trend in social media. People often boast about their trips to exotic places or expensive hotels, and because of this, they are perceived by others as people of particularly high status. Other people sometimes try to match them and may make decisions that are not in line with their own needs. On top of that, there is the effect of one-sided advertisements showing the world.
“A man in a fashionable suit comfortably sitting in a leather armchair with a laptop in front of him and a smiling flight attendant serving him scotch with sparkling water. It’s a model of travel, especially business travel, often conveyed in TV commercials and glossy magazines. However, there is a dark side to this idealized, hypermobile lifestyle that the media and society ignore,” said Dr. Scott Cohen, one of the authors of the paper. Whether under the influence of such messages or for other reasons, the excess of trips can, according to the researchers, be harmful.
They warn against jet-lag, stress, separation from family and the local community, the risk of venous thrombosis, which can occur in susceptible people during a long flight, as well as a certain dose of radiation, which begins to become important on frequent, long flights. “The level of physiological, physical and social stress caused by too much travel can have serious long-term effects – from the breakdown of family ties to changes in genes caused by sleep deprivation.”
How to travel?
The conclusion is that, just like other spheres of life, it is worth taking proper care of travelling. Specialists from the aforementioned Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies have a few suggestions. For example, if someone is planning to travel the world after their professional activity, it is good to think about it well in advance. “Americans have big dreams of travel in retirement, yet many are not financially prepared to ensure those dreams come true,” the researchers write. So, they recommend that you think about your finances in advance. It is also a good idea to think about the trip itself.
The researchers point out that travel doesn’t have to be far, exotic, or expensive to be beneficial. At the same time, they advise that it should be planned in such a way that it not only allows you to visit new places, but also strengthens your bonds. At the same time, they emphasize the importance of making the most of holidays – it is a time for rest, and therefore also a great opportunity to travel.