Why Do We Love To Travel? The Psychology of Travel
We know that we like to travel, but do we know why? Human beings have travelled for centuries, but when and why did we start enjoying our journeys; the processes and results of them? The answers lie in history, science, human nature and the simple enjoyment of life.
Historically, travel started out as a purely practical activity, done only for the purposes of profit, power and most importantly survival. Merchants sailed on long and perilous journeys to sell their wares and exchange their cultures and knowledge throughout different parts of the world. Now travelling is far easier, it takes many varied forms, and takes you anywhere. And there are all the more reasons to enjoy it.
Health
Travel can improve both our physical and psychological health. Studies have shown that vacations can reduce stress and burnout, as well as make people happier and healthier. Travelling increases creativity, makes our brains more flexible by keeping them active. It also gives us more chances to socialise, grow and expand our horizons, as well as to escape from the stresses of everyday life.
Emotional Wellness
Vacationing in new places improves emotional agility: our ability to deal with and express emotions. It helps us to adapt and react better to unforeseen situations and problems by slowing down and evaluating situations before making decisions. It also improves our sense of empathy as we learn more about how different people around the world live, think and view the world. These experiences help us to interact more understandingly and appreciatively with people in our daily lives.
New Experiences
People often seek new knowledge and experiences. Our perception of the world changes and expands as we meet new people, learn about different cultures and parts of the world. Our usual routine changes and our brains experience new things, which improves our cognitive abilities. We have to adjust to new roads, new words and new ways of doing things. This stimulates neuroplasticity and improves our brain health, memory and learning abilities.
Self-discovery
Travelling allows us to learn more about ourselves and improves our self-confidence. As we go through new experiences and deal with unexpected situations, we learn more about our characters, how we deal with good and bad things in life and how to improve. We also learn that we are stronger and more resilient than we think as we get out of our comfort zones, challenge ourselves and deal with the difficulties that we come across on our journeys.
Nostalgia
The joy of travelling can be found not only in new experiences, but also in old ones. We’ve all had a museum or a particular town that we’ve wanted to revisit time and time again. Our memories of those places make us want to go back and re-experience the happiness and excitement of our journeys and remind ourselves of those times. Over time our connection to the places we visit strengthens and they become part of us and our history.
Travelling is an incredibly enjoyable pastime and we always anticipate the next exciting journey, thrilling adventure or relaxing stay at a beach resort. We eagerly await the next mountain hike, the next unique experience or the feel of the water gently sweeping towards and away from our feet at the beach. But our reasons for enjoying all of these experiences go beyond the positive feelings we associate with them. Travelling improves the very way we function both mentally and physically. Through travel we develop, grow and become better people and better members of society. Across the ages it has both remained a useful tool for ensuring our survival and evolved into something so much more.
