Want to be happier in the new year? Travel and well-being are inextricably linked.
You know the drill. January rolls around and (weighed down by sugar cookies, eggnog, and the prospect of many more months of winter) you decide this is the year. This is the year you will _______ (fill in the blank). This is the year you will fit back into your favorite jeans from college, this is the year you will finally run that half marathon, this is the year you will give up potato chips, cold turkey. THIS is the year, you tell yourself. And you believe it.
But every year, the same thing happens: a week of “perfection” followed by a few weeks of moderate success and occasional (then not so occasional) slip-ups. Then crash and burn, you’re back into your well-rutted routines. To be fair, winter is a cruel season for society to decide everyone should change their habits. It’s cold, it’s dark. It’s a tough time to shake things up. In fact, according to U.S. News & World Report, roughly 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail by February.
What if you gave yourself something in the New Year instead of taking something away? What if you could give yourself the gift of reduced stress, increased happiness, and expanded horizons, without restrictive resolutions?
The answer is simple: travel more.
Not only do experts agree that increased travel leads to a happier, more balanced life, but it’s also a resolution that’s easy to uphold. A commitment to travel more means that by simply booking one more trip, taking one more weekend away, or RSVPing “Yes” to one destination wedding you’d normally turn down, you’ve succeeded!
We may be biased, but we think travel is essential to your well-being and worth investing in. One only needs to search the internet to find study after study, article after article touting the many benefits of travel for one’s physical, mental, and emotional life, including (but not limited to):
LOWERS INSTANCES OF HEART DISEASE
A landmark study in the field, the Framingham Heart Study began in 1948 and spanned a course of 20 years. According to information gathered, women who vacationed only every six years or less were nearly eight times more likely to develop heart disease or have a heart attack compared to women who traveled at least twice a year.
INSTANT STRESS REDUCTION
The Global Coalition on Aging notes stress reduction as one of travel’s most significant benefits, especially for older populations. High levels of stress are linked to a host of health problems, from sleep disorders to diabetes.
IMPROVES CREATIVITY & COGNITIVE FUNCTION
“Foreign experiences increase both cognitive flexibility and depth and integrativeness of thought, the ability to make deep connections between disparate forms,” says Adam Galinsky, a professor at Columbia Business School. Read this piece by the Atlantic to find out more about what travel can do for your brain!
So, rather than buying into the media hype and restricting yourself from the (insert your vice of choice here), why not simplify your plan and add something wonderful to your routine? Travel More!
Where will you go this year? Tag us with #avtravelmore and show us where you roam!
