Travel is an integral part of our life. We are looking forward to a vacation to go somewhere. Fortunately, the situation in the world is improving, and there is an opportunity to travel again. A travel and lifestyle blog will tell more about places to visit. And in this article, I will talk more about how travel affects our psychological state and even personality. What gives your brain one trip? And two? What about regular journeys to new and unknown places? How positive is it, and how to travel so that both you and your psyche feel good about it?
The constant movement around the planet Earth has many important effects:
1. Intellectual growth
We get knowledge not as many of the books and videos, but from direct personal experience. And when you are physically in a completely different climate, communicate with completely different people, get into completely different situations, your brain is forced to grow new neurons with space speeds. Sometimes I physically feel how my eyes open up, and in the soul, the brain, the heart appear new knowledge about yourself and the world.
2. Aggravation of all existing senses
I love to see the beauty, and I can even fill myself with pictures of new landscapes and places. While traveling, I remember smells and tastes more strongly, and if you ask me what Hanoi tastes and smells like, I can hardly explain, but I will remember it in the smallest detail. They say it stinks, but to me, it smelled of all kinds of spices and flowers drying in the sun. I will not confuse this smell with anything.
3. Communication skills
You learn to communicate with people of a wide variety of mentalities. How many people do you interact with in life at home? Five, ten, twenty? If you travel without a pre-prepared program with a tour guide and a group of compatriots, that is, on your own, then you have to communicate with dozens of new people every day. And sometimes, your comfort, well-being, interesting travel, and even safety depend on the quality of this communication. It is very motivating to find a common language. I love asking for help, asking for directions, starting conversations in transport and public places with locals and tourists. It creates a flavor of travel. Architecture may be similar, nature too, but people never repeat themselves, and then it is they who make your travels sincere, warm, and kind.
4. New knowledge and skills
You acquire new skills. How to cross an eight-lane road where there are no traffic lights and traffic rules? How to surf the ocean? How to drive a camel? How is durian? How to fly in a hot air balloon? You can never learn this while sitting at home. I try on every trip to try some new activity that is not available to me elsewhere on the planet. And this is insanely cool because this knowledge remains in the body as new superpowers. That is, in the end, you get new knowledge, feelings, experience, friends, and all this in one trip. Now imagine that there are several such trips a year.
5. Fighting depression and fears
Traveling will not cope with clinical depression, and may aggravate it. In severe conditions, when there is no strength to leave the house and life is meaningless, you need to contact a psychotherapist and psychiatrist for therapy and medications. But if this is just a seasonal blues or another crisis of 30, 40, 50 years, then travel may well help you survive them. Many of my clients come to me because I travel, are inspired by this and start doing the same, and their life changes dramatically. However, when it comes to dealing with fears, I think travel can help a lot. Our worst fear, besides the fear of death, is to embarrass ourselves in front of people. It is easier for me to try something new and “screw up” where no one knows me and where life itself slips in unusual situations because there is no travel without mistakes. And for some reason, I experience them there much less painful than at home. Fear is such an eternal tourist companion. What if I lose my documents? What if I miss my plane? What if there will be an earthquake or a tsunami? What if an unknown insect or snake bites me?
6. Medicine for complexes
Travel is a powerful tool. Especially, when you find yourself in another culture. As if the rules by which you live at home no longer apply here, and you have not yet learned and accepted the new ones. I called this effect “cultural vacuum”. It gives an inexpressible sense of inner freedom from conventional norms, stereotypes, prejudices. For example, when you arrive in South America and see that people don’t care what you are wearing and who you work with, it is essential what kind of relationship you have with your family. Or in Asia, it doesn’t matter how erudite you are, the main thing is whether you respect the rules and traditions. For example, relationships with loved ones, work that is useful to others, the ability to enjoy life in different conditions. And these basic values are available to each of us, regardless of our wealth, education, religion, race, gender, appearance, etc. We can all be happy. These are what travel taught me.
Advice to those who can not decide
I would advise you to imagine that your most beloved, the closest and most expensive person you have lived on the other edge of the earth, which you have never seen and with whom you want to meet. She is waiting for you and ready to see you at any moment when you decide and can open you to a completely new meaning of life if you allow. Well, ready to go? But this person is you.