Go where you feel most alive!

What is the first thing that comes to mind when we say vacation? Exploring new horizons, meeting new people or perhaps a visiting a new Instagram-worthy location? The last time we travelled overseas may feel like a distant memory, but if COVID-19 has taught us anything about travelling, it’s that “To travel is to live’’.

So while we are not able to accomplish our overseas travel bucket list for now, that doesn’t mean planning our next holiday is impossible, especially with most of our domestic borders now open. Psychological research has shown that planning our next holiday can very much benefit our mental health.

Planning and anticipating a holiday for a positive mind set

We imagine that the greatest part of our holiday will be the moments we experience at the destination. But the truth is that a lot of our happiness is derived from the anticipation and excitement in the lead up to our trip.

However, thinking too much about a holiday can ultimately turn into a negative experience by overthinking things and stressing about the unknowns. In order to stay holiday happy: keep thinking positive. Taking a small break and closing our mind while we think of nice scenery of our holiday destination can make a difference. Just by doing this we can put our emotions back into check and energise our soul and mind for the better.

Do you know why travel makes us feel alive?

Travel is an important part of our personality. The magic of travel and having new experiences gives us the opportunity to have a look at our self.  Travel is filled with adventure and spontaneous events. It opens a flow of consciousness of the moment and a deep sense of well-being.

It allows you to express aliveness. Going on a holiday is way for us to reconnect to the outside world; from a 6am sunrise over the 12 apostles on the Great Ocean Road; to a solo hike and walk in the Grampians or even a therapeutic bath at the Peninsula hot springs in Victoria.

Some of us go through a stage in our life where we get tired of going to work, sick of the house work and the daily family routine. Travel is here to push you to move forward to some “me time”.

There are very few feelings that come close to the way we feel when we wake up in our destination of choice and having no obligation for the day other than what we have planned for ourselves. That is pure happiness and mental peace that we can all benefit from.

Doing something nerve wrecking or scary can leave us with a sense of pride and achievement. Even if it’s just a small thing like exploring a city that we are unfamiliar with will automatically build up our self esteem and inner strength.

Travel can be a long-term mood booster

It is very true when people say that having a holiday makes them so happy and they come back in better mood. Our post-holiday experience is often regarded with fondness. Returning home after a trip is isn’t all bad, as we have new memories to hold on to. Unique photos taken give us an instant mood booster simply by looking at them. And having a great holiday usually gets us thinking and planning for the next one, and so the cycle continues where we can get excited by the anticipation of the next trip.