7 Benefits
of Traveling Abroad

Why Vacations Are Essential

7 Science-Backed Benefits of Taking Time Off

Scientific evidence suggests depression decreases during and even after our vacations. When we go on vacation, we often get daily exercise, eat new foods, and shift our routines. Scientists find that these variations in schedule and diet actually increase endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine - the neurotransmitters and hormones that enhance our mood and give us a tremendous sense of well-being. So, even after a relaxing trip, you can still experience the benefits of a great vacation.  

1. Going on Vacation Can Increase Your Happiness

Vacations help improve our moods and overall happiness, especially if a trip involves spending time with loved ones or engaging in activities that bring us joy. Traveling can also help improve our sense of well-being by giving us a break from our routines and time to focus on our mental health - what makes us happy, which can lead to a more positive outlook overall. Taking a trip allows travelers time to relax and unwind, which can also help us feel refreshed and energized.

2. Vacations Reduce Stress

Vacations help reduce stress and promote relaxation, improving our mental and physical health. Going on vacations gives us a much-needed break from daily life, allowing us to relax and recharge, reducing stress levels. Often, taking a break presents travelers with a new perspective and helps them revisit their priorities and goals. Plus, engaging in enjoyable activities and spending time with loved ones can increase your happiness and reduce stress (so travel together!).

3. Going on a Trip Can Enhance Your Creativity

Finding yourself in unfamiliar environments also requires mental exercise, which creates new neuropathways and expands the mind. Meeting new people, learning about new cultures, and experiencing new sights and sounds are excellent ways to get a cerebral workout. Vacations offer us so many new experiences and environments, provoking our brains and inspiring creative thinking. Vacations also allow us to take a break from our daily routine and enjoy leisure activities. This increased relaxation can help us approach problems with a fresh perspective, leading to new insights and solutions.

4. Trying New Cuisines Is Good for You

On vacation, you're able to try different cuisines and local flavors. Trying new foods can help us expand our diets and introduce fresh nutrients, improving overall nutrition and health. Trying new foods can also enhance your taste perception by exposing you to new flavors and textures, making you more sensitive to different tastes and improving your ability to distinguish between different flavors. Trying different and unique foods can also help improve digestion and provide other cognitive benefits. 

5. Going on Vacation Can Improve Your Productivity

Vacations can improve focus and concentration by allowing us to disconnect from distractions and recharge our mental batteries, which can actually increase our productivity when returning to our daily lives and work. Vacations also provide us with new experiences, perspectives, and inspiration that can enhance our creativity and problem-solving abilities. Applying this creativity and problem-solving to tasks can also help boost your productivity. For some people, going on a trip can help prevent burnout from a job, allowing them to return to work feeling refreshed and energized. 

6. Going on a Trip Together Can Strengthen Relationships

Going on a trip together can strengthen relationships by creating shared experiences and establishing quality time away from the distractions of everyday life. When you travel together, your shared adventures become a fun topic to reflect on and reminisce about for years. The experiences helped to forge a stronger bond because they were the foundation for these future shared memories.

7. Taking a Trip is Good for Your Physical Health

Almost anywhere you go on vacation, you'll probably walk more than most days. Within the States, you'll want to explore the National Parks as much as possible - and you'll want to do it on foot. While exploring Europe, the UK, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, or Australia, you'll trek through sacred sites, natural landscapes, and the world's preeminent architectural marvels. All this walking strengthens the heart, prevents high blood pressure, and trims the waistline.

In the end, it's best to travel as much and often as you can because, as Miriam Beard notes, “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”