Travel is about getting a well-deserved vacation from the rush and bustle of contemporary life for some people, while for others, it is all about experiencing new places and meeting new people. Travel can provide all of these things and a great deal more. There is a wealth of research to demonstrate that when we travel, our brains remain happy and healthy, regardless of the length of time we are away from home—three days or three months. The following is a list of just a few of the many ways that traveling is beneficial to our mental health.

It Deepens Our Understanding

As a result of traveling, we are forced to go outside of our comfort zones, and the new experiences we get may be quite beneficial to us. Engaging with people from cultures that are distinct from your own may provide you with a far more comprehensive understanding of life. In addition, the "openness" and "agreeableness" aspects of your personality are strengthened by traveling abroad, according to the findings of one research. These are two of the "Big Five" personality characteristics, which are used to broadly classify personality types in psychological assessments. The former is characterized by friendship and compassion, while the latter is characterized by a respect for art, adventure, and a wide range of experiences. (more…)