The Daily Vanguard

Healthy Reasons to Travel

Going on vacation should be higher on the list of priorities in a person’s life. Yet hectic schedules, ongoing responsibilities, and limited funds often result in traveling being pushed to the back burner. Though it may seem like more of a luxury, getting away is actually beneficial to your health. Taking a journey outside of your comfort zone can, in essence, make life more meaningful. Don’t believe it? Well here are a few healthy reasons to get away.

To Detox

Toxins come in all forms. You could be exposed to toxins just by stepping outside your front door, driving down a highway, or entering a public place. You can get involved in toxic relationships or be employed in a toxic environment. You can also consume toxic things like too much fast food, cigarettes, wine, or drugs. Too much of any of these toxins in your life can impact your physical and mental well-being.

Traveling, therefore, is a great way to detox. Even if only for a few days or weeks, you’re in a new environment away from the toxic people, places, and things you’re exposed to daily. Whether you live in New York and travel to a rehab in seattle for treatment or you simply take a meditation retreat to detox from negative mindsets, it can be therapeutic.

To Discover Yourself

Discovering your true self is a lifelong journey filled with ups and downs. It is through the continued discovery of yourself that you are able to grab life by the horns and find true value and meaning in who you are as a person. Traveling can be a significant part of that.

When you travel, it takes you outside of your comfort zone and allows you to be at one with yourself. As you embark on this new destination and encounter different cultures, people, and environments, you learn more about yourself. You can pursue passions and adventures, push yourself to the limits, all without the daily pressures of responsibilities, expectations, and influences.

To Disconnect

The world has become so digitally inclined that people stay plugged in or connected almost nonstop. Though there are conveniences to having technology at your fingertips, there’s also a downside. It causes a disconnection in other areas of your life. When you’re glued to your phone, computer, or television, connecting with others on a personal level becomes less important. Not to mention too much screen time can lead to eye, neck, back, and other health problems.

Traveling, particularly to remote locations gives you the time you need to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with reality. As you communicate with the locals, spend time taking in the culture, trying foods, exploring historical sights, and being at one with nature you bring balance and harmony back to your life and reduce the painstakingly horrible effects of always being plugged into a digital society.

To Improve Your Health

Most people dread vacationing when it comes to maintaining proper health. There’s the delicious (but not always nutritious) foods, alcoholic beverages, and other activities that can tempt you into abandoning your healthy lifestyle habits. Though you do need a bit of restraint and strategy if trying to maintain proper health while traveling, a new trend of traveling to improve your health has emerged.

Wellness and meditation retreats, hiking, and even martial arts training are trending for travelers who want to get in shape. Time away from distractions and the personalized support and training offered while on these health retreats and fitness journeys are often all that’s needed to jumpstart healthier living.

If you thought that planning a vacation was nothing more than an event for fun, think again. Stepping off the treadmill of life and getting away from the monotony of your routines is therapeutic in a number of ways. It can help you to detox, unplug, and even improve your physical and mental well-being. Though affordability and availability have to remain factors, do your best to take a vacation at least once a year. Whether it’s in a town nearby, across state lines, or in another country, the benefits you’ll experience are beyond any remedies you may have tried in the past.