It is of the utmost importance that I travel for the sake of my mental health. My yoga practice is something that I like to think of as a type of physical travel; for instance, I recently participated in a study abroad program that lasted for a short period in Austria. Both types of travel present me with challenges that I typically try to avoid when I am at home. Additionally, there are times when I have to move my body in ways that aren’t necessarily pleasant because I have to travel for business or school. For instance, I have to cram my long legs into the ever-shrinking legroom of flights or sit in chair pose, both of which I despise doing because they are so challenging.
Even though I am aware that traveling can have the opposite effect on some individuals, I find that it has a calming effect on me. Being able to get through the pre-check queue at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) helps me relax since I am aware that I have no control over the event other than how I react to it. The expression “I am powerless over anything” is accompanied by a rolling of the eyes. The physical relaxation that I feel in my shoulders is a direct result of the reduction in my blood pressure. It may be because I was born and raised in the Midwest, and I enjoy taking some time to unwind at the airport in the hours leading up to my departure, while other people are rushing to get to their gates.
When the pressures of everyday life become too much to bear, taking a trip to a different location can be beneficial. A medical expert named Dan Brennen, who wrote an article on the subject, claims that going on a trip might make you feel less apprehensive and stressed out, as well as freshen your mind.
As an additional benefit, it can strengthen ties and friendships between individuals. I was able to make some of my closest friends and experience some of the most valued memories of my life when I was traveling. If you are feeling lonely, you should go on a voyage into the unknown by yourself. While you are traveling, you might come across some fascinating individuals.
We were guiding students to Germany a few years ago, and during that time, we were on a bicycle tour around Berlin. Participation in conversations with individuals chosen at random was a requirement for the course. My student, who was an American traveling to Germany for business, struck up a conversation with a member of the tour group that they were both traveling with. As the trip came to a close, they became more acquainted with one another, and at the conclusion, they exchanged their contact information.
After falling in love with Berlin during their internship during the summer, this student came back to Germany and spent three months working and traveling throughout the country.
When the time came for this student to begin looking for her first job after graduation, she contacted the individual she had met on the bike tour to inquire about the possibility of employment options with their company. In response to the question of whether or not she would be successful in a different environment, she responded with a positive response of “Absolutely” during the interview. Despite being separated from everyone I know by a distance of four thousand miles, I had a wonderful experience for three months.
The ability to cope with tough feelings and experiences, such as loss, tragedy, trauma, mental illness, or physical disease, is something that many individuals find to be helpful. Getting away to a place that is either familiar or unfamiliar can be helpful. After going through a particularly challenging few years of coping with family dysfunction, our humble family decided to rethink our approach to holidays such as Thanksgiving by going on adventures rather than following the conventional blueprint. When compared to prior years, the Thanksgiving celebration this year is, thankfully, far less busy.
Terry Randolf, certified as a licensed professional counselor and the chief program officer at Pyx Health, has stated that this is the case. According to a study that relates loneliness and social isolation to ill health, the pandemic made people’s already poor mental and physical health even worse. This is according to the findings of the research. As a result of the constraints imposed by the pandemic, it became physically impossible for individuals to escape their usual lives. This resulted in their experiencing feelings of confinement and isolation, which had a detrimental impact on their emotional and psychological well-being.
My Macomb Yoga Coop group and I connected using Zoom so that I could monitor my mental health when I was unable to physically travel. This allowed me to keep track of my progress. When you go to a location that you have been wanting to see for a long time, you will experience a decrease in cortisol levels and an increase in enthusiasm. Cortisol is the major hormone under stress that is produced by the human body. It does this by interacting with particular parts of your brain, which in turn affects your feelings, your drive, and your fear. Cortisol levels that are lower than normal cause the immune system to undergo a process of reset. No vacation is too big or too small for you to arrange. You can handle it all. To make the most of the excellent impacts that they have on your mental health, they do not have to be expensive or distinctive.
“The trip to Austria was truly a life-changing experience,” Emma Fleming, a graduate student who went on the trip, said, and she described it accurately. Embracing my discomfort in unfamiliar circumstances has, in my opinion, resulted in the most formative learning, personal growth, and significant friendships that I have experienced.
