Traveling is one of the most significant sources of satisfaction and joy that exist right now. The mental load that have endured these months due to the restrictions has made us now, more than ever, pay attention to the need to take care of our psychological well-being with daily activities and experiences that generate great satisfaction.
Leaving home to disconnect, discover other worlds, and socialize has become the medicine for all our ills after a long time of limitations.
Traveling has many psychological benefits, whether alone, with friends, with your partner, or with your family. We can feel these advantages from the moment we start thinking about the destination and making plans with the illusion that it will be some memorable days. That tour is a balm for our psyche.
About World Mental Health Day, celebrated on October 10, Rumbo.es summarizes the benefits of escaping for a few days so that you have more excuses to pack your suitcase and get lost in the world.
A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body
This ancient phrase is more relevant today than ever. If our mind is sound, our whole body will respond positively. And how can a trip help this? Walking is one of the best exercises because it puts our entire body in motion and helps to disconnect from the mind. Curiously, it is the one we most often put into practice when we are in another place, whether urban or in nature.
For example, during a City Break, we can travel an incalculable number of kilometers going from one place to another, discovering destinations that fascinate us.
Afternoons of walks through Paris, with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop; or through Rome, with the Colosseum to one side; or Prague admiring its architecture, they make you spend hours and hours, and you don’t get tired! Some cities offer the perfect combination of walking and cycling, such as Bruges and Amsterdam.
Connects You With Nature
Interacting with nature is essential to improve our mood and, therefore, our mental health. Getting in touch with our environment in its purest state helps enhance cognitive function and makes us more aware of our Reality. That is why a walk through nature is one of the best therapies. The best thing is that within the city itself, we can cultivate this habit daily or when we visit urban environments. In this guide to Nature and parks in European cities, there are recommendations for the greenest environments to enjoy an afternoon on vacation.
It is estimated that some four million Spaniards habitually practice hiking, a figure that is increasing at the same time as a type of tourism is growing that is no longer satisfied with traditional sun and beach destinations.
And it is not for less. Spain has true paradises for this practice, such as the immensity of the Picos de Europa, making it an ideal proposal to spend a few days exploring this majestic place and disconnecting from everything.
The rural areas of Extremadura, Andalusia, Castilla la Mancha, and Castilla y Leon are another meeting point where visitors can immerse themselves in the fascinating world of villages in the middle of nature, full of charm and authenticity.
Encourages Curiosity and Self-Knowledge
The autonomy you develop when planning a trip can surprise even you. You learn to function in other contexts, solve problems that arise unexpectedly and live with environments that are foreign to you daily and that, after discovering them, are fascinating to you.
It is your self-taught ability in front of the world, a challenge that begins when you plan a trip and ask yourself the question: What to see in…? Your mind goes to a thousand.
So much so that you can become a Sherlock Holmes to find the least explored corners of a city. But once there, the brain continues to work on his curiosity, wondering why and what for each thing he sees. It’s like I’m constantly putting together a puzzle.
The potential is even more significant if we add special situations to that. For example, one of the great opportunities to see the world in one place is Expo 2020 Dubai, which has just opened its doors to the public until March 31, 2022.
More than 190 countries are showcasing all their technological innovations, sustainability, gastronomy, and actions for a better world—a space where the mind will open up to fascinating worlds and unimaginable situations.
Travel Develops Your Hobbies
Hobbies are a great satisfaction. It is like a reward for our psychological well-being. Travel is the perfect reason to develop these hobbies in another context and a more relaxed environment, far from everyday life. Gastronomy, playing sports, learning more about history, culture… Foodies, for example, understand that Mexico is one of those places you must visit, yes or yes, both for its flavors and history. What food lover Wouldn’t you like to taste the authentic flavor of a cochinita pibil, some carnitas, or some authentic basket tacos?
The same happens with the north: Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia and Navarra. Along its coasts we can enjoy incredibly fresh seafood and fish, while inland we can find its most traditional dishes: octopus a feira in Galicia, Fabada in Asturias, Cocido montanes in Cantabria or Cocido al pil pil in the Basque Country. . The north caters not only to fans of good food but also to those with a hobby of hiking and architecture.
For connoisseurs of art, Italy is one of the most sought-after options, both for its galleries, which have an infinite number of works inherited from the greatest and for its cities that constitute an open-air museum in themselves, from the majesty of The Roman Colosseum to the peculiar Leaning Tower of Pisa, passing through the famous Trevi Fountain want to return to Italy.
Literature lovers have in Prague the Klementinum library, considered one of the most beautiful in the world; the renowned Library of Trinity College in the middle of Dublin (where you can have a good beer on your way out) or right here, in Spain, the library of the University of Salamanca.
Puts Insecurities at Bay
Vacations are not only the time for many to get out of their comfort zone but to expand it. You challenge yourself, which translates into a good shot of self-esteem, which is necessary in times of uncertainty. Skiing, for example. Some take advantage of their days off to take the risk that, later, becomes a hobby. Andorra, the Aragonese or Catalan Pyrenees, and Granada offer countless ski slopes for beginners to leave their fear at home.
And diving? When winter arrives, more than one wants a beach, and the Dominican Republic is the paradise where to take refuge and dive into the depths of the sea for the first time. You will see that once in the water, any fear disappears, and you will regain confidence in yourself.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Traveling allows us to disconnect from everyday problems and obligations to connect with ourselves, getting away from all the sources that generate stress. One of the benefits of traveling is that it makes us happy by boosting serotonin levels, increasing our well-being, and making any trace of anxiety disappear. To this, we add that we are now more aware of the importance of health care and the need to focus on ourselves, which has allowed the rise of wellness tourism. In travelers’ itineraries can be seen more and more experiences that will enable them to relax and achieve a disconnection, such as spas and spas.
Some go to specific places because of their ancestral tradition in these matters. Budapest is a very typical case. In 1934 it was baptized as the Spa City, thanks to its thermal waters used for centuries for therapeutic purposes and which now serve its more than one hundred spas, both natural and artificial. Rudas and Gellért are among the most beautiful in the world.
Most yogis or those curious about the discipline have the option of the already popular yoga retreats that take place in exotic destinations (India and Bali) as well as in the most modern cities (New York and Lisbon). In this guide to magical corners to practice yoga, there are suggestions for both experts and beginners.
