Sometimes, it can seem that your days repeat themselves over and over. It can wear you down mentally if you have been on a long stretch of working, going to school or doing the same activities every day.
Traveling and staying active are two excellent ways to break a monotonous pattern in your life. They can also improve your mental health. If you are wondering how these two activities can benefit your brain, here are ways.
How Does Staying Active Benefit Mental Health?
Fortunately, just about any type of activity can benefit you. Whether you enjoy walking, playing tennis or you are looking at pool financing companies to install a lap pool at your home, you can reap the benefits from these forms of exercise.
When you are active, the hormone levels in your body change. Feel-good hormones, such as serotonin and endorphins, increase, boosting your mood. Exercise also improves your feelings of well-being because you feel more in control of your body. If you have set an activity goal, you can boost your self-esteem by meeting it.
Working out can increase your energy levels. When you get your blood pumping and your heart rate higher, your sluggish feelings take a back seat for a while. In this way, a walk may even help you feel more alert than a nap or extra cup of coffee.
When you add in a social aspect to working out, it can help your mood. Being active with someone whose company you enjoy gives you a double benefit. Not only do you get to spend time with a friend or family member, but you also get to do something healthy for your body.
If you are frustrated or angry, there’s nothing like physical activity to relieve some of the pressure. The fight-or-flight response that kicks in when you experience stress releases adrenaline into your system. Your body prepares to run or fight. Working out can get rid of that adrenaline as you exercise.
How Does Traveling Benefit Mental Health?
Sometimes when you’re overworked, you need to step away from your situation. A vacation can help. The first thing traveling does is remove you from your physical location, giving you distance between you and your problems. Once you have some space, you may have a clearer perspective on your stressors.
You don’t have to go to the ends of the earth to increase your mental health. Whether you have plans to stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale, a room in Paris or just to the next town, a change of scenery can do the trick.
Traveling to different places can boost your creativity. Exploring various cultures, trying different foods and hearing diverse music expands your mind. New experiences can help you rewire your brain to discover new solutions to old problems.
Did you know you can benefit just by planning a trip? The anticipation of a vacation can be beneficial, too. It gives you something to look forward to and feel hopeful about. Once you take the trip, the benefits of your vacation can last for weeks afterward. All these factors added together mean that your mental vacation can last much longer than the actual trip, giving you more time to enjoy it.
If your travel includes spending time in nature, you have added bonuses. People can increase their mental well-being by going outside and surrounding themselves with the natural world. Studies have shown that people who spend time outside feel more hopeful.
You may also do some extra walking while you’re on vacation, too. If you spend time sightseeing on your feet, you can add in the benefits of exercise during your vacation, giving your mental health an added boost.
If you feel like you can’t make time for a full-blown workout or big getaway, remember that small changes can impact your mental health, too. Doing something is better than nothing. Your brain will thank you for your efforts.