People travel for different reasons, in different ways, to different places. But everyone travels for a reason. What is your reason? To experience something different? To relax? To get away from something? To renew yourself, learn, explore?
If you enjoy traveling, it is probably because you have already experienced some of the benefits of traveling. But did you know that science is also picking up on this? It is proven that positive health benefits may be gained by traveling.
- Traveling once a year can have a positive effect on lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, and mental health by reducing stress.
- It can make you more creative and expand your awareness.
- It can keep your mind sharp and potentially delay the onset of degenerative diseases.
- Traveling allows you to interact and connect with people you normally not would engage with. Increased social integration may benefit your overall health.
But to achieve these healthy benefits, you have to be aware of how you are traveling!
So lets start with stress reduction. If you are, while on holiday, hooked up to your office or constantly rushing to the nearest hotspot checking your e-mail or social media, or choosing a type of holiday that does not correspond with what your kids can handle. Then you are less likely to receive the real benefits of a vacation and more likely to burn out.
When it comes to creativity I´d like to quote Brent Crane, in the Atlantic: “Going to Cancun for spring break probably won’t make a person any more creative, but going to Cancun and living with local fishermen might”. Expansion of the mind demands that you step out of your comfort-zone and allow those neural pathways to be influenced by new environments and habits.
If traveling is to assist your longevity project and overall health, it better include stress-relief and activities that gives a little exercise and stimulates thinking and memory. For example finding your way in a new place?
Traveling often include different types of interaction. You may have to talk to strangers and spend time with local people or guides. You often end up doing your activities in a small group of other vacationers, which makes it very easy to engage in conversation and make a connection. If you just stay in your hotel area where everything is facilitated, you might achieve stress relief, but not increased social integration.
So whatever your reason for traveling is, take a minute to think. What are you really after? Traveling is an investment of time, money and (natural) resources toward happiness and improved health. So you might want to go about it in a expedient way.
Fjord& offers the type of traveling that is good for your health and corresponds with the guidelines of sustainable tourism and traveling. What is good for the planet is also good for you. And that is beautiful!
We wish you happy and healthy travels. Please contact us if we can assist you in planning your trip to visit Norway. 🙂
Written by:
Marianne Thon Sørensen (marianne@bergenbasecamp.no) 08.11.2017
A blog about nature adventures and local culture in Norway. 