Ah, travelling… A leisure activity, often associated with a recreational way for one to unwind from their stress on daily life. As much of that is true, travelling can be a great tool for someone to heal and get to know themselves on a deeper level. The story of Eat Pray Love is a testament, among other stories, how travelling can help you find yourself.
It may sound too good to be true, but the fact of the matter is… Being in a different environment has been known to be therapeutic to the mind, body, and soul. Aside from that, getting away to get some downtime from the day-to-day activities can often lead to healing, and also it helps in straightening out priorities and values.
The Benefits
The frustration we have from our lives sometimes comes from us taking for granted of what we have. We get so caught up with them that we forgot to be present, and we tend to be so focused to take care of everything that we neglect to get in touch with ourselves. For all of these, travel may benefit us in so many ways possible.
Physically, travelling improves our fitness level, in terms of stamina and physique, from exploring the wonderful places in the trip. Even if the trip does not include physical exploration, say like in the hiking or else, it can still make an impact on our physical health. For example, a trip to the ocean with means to escape densely populated, smoke-filled and frequently unsanitary conditions in exchange for air fresh off the open ocean.
Emotionally, travelling can serve as a source of inspiration as it opens up the possibility such as meeting new people and seeing great art. For example, hiking through magnificent landscapes can make you realise that you’re strong enough to get through the challenges that arise on the road. In addition, travelling can be a tool for you to distance yourself from stressful life events to reflect and find solace from them.
Spiritually, travelling to certain places can really touch our spirit and soul by its beauty. Many travellers find considerable comfort and inspiration when visiting significant religious landmarks, such as to meditate or do pilgrimage. These high-energy places have the power to expand our senses and connect us deeper into our inner self.
How Travel can Help in Healing?
Giving yourself a chance to heal, or even as simple as to unwind yourself from stress, is always a great thing. Whether you want to travel just to relax or in hope that in some ways it can help you heal,
- It forces you to be present — Traveling to a foreign environment takes you out of your comfort zone and forces you to focus on what’s happening at the moment instead of what happened in the past.
- It shifts your mood — snaps us out of negative energy, depression, and stress.
- It forces you to look within and face your fears — Solo travelling has an awakening power as being on your own can greatly help with self-reflection.
- It cultivates gratitude — Being out of your comfort zone often can be an eye-opener to how lucky we really are with our lives.