Mary Anne Radmacher If you have experienced that feel good buzz after having a satisfying or relaxing holiday, you are not alone. A new study conducted by Wakefield Research reveals that traveling boosts your mood. The “Traveler’s Sweet Spot” survey even showed that people found traveling made them feel even better than they did if they partook in a shopping spree or exercise. The survey found that people often travel for a reason. They may travel for a wedding, a baby shower or just to spend time with friends and family. Whatever the reason, travel seems to be fulfilling for most of us.
The Findings Of The Survey
The survey consisted of 1,005 U.S. adults and looked at different types of trips that most successfully boosted people’s moods. It was found that 38 percent of men and 34 percent of women preferred romantic getaways as their choice vacations. Family escapes (33 percent of all participants) came in a close second and holidays with good friends (23 percent) were also found to be favored by many.
A Short Trip Can Do The Trick
The survey also found that the trip needn’t be extensive in order to provide that good buzz. Four out of five Americans said that they would prefer to take a few short trips than one long getaway. Forty-four percent reported that they aim to take three to four holidays, while nearly ten percent strive to take seven or more holidays in 2016. Healthy Activity While Traveling Can Also Help Your Mood. Getting out and about also contributes to that good feeling. Dr. Linda Papadopoulos, a psychologist who worked with Expedia on a study, says “Exposure to a healthy amount of sunshine is also believed to increase the brain’s release of the hormone serotonin which is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused,” Travel Can Also Boost Your Sex Life. The benefits of travel are more than just mood boosting. According to the study, travel was found to help people improve their health, lose weight, gain confidence and increase their sex drive. Getting out and about helps improve your libido and can make you feel more positive about being intimate with others. Travel Can Help You Lose Weight. When people travel they tend to undertake spurts of healthy activity. They seem to ditch their old bad habits and take up new routines. When you start to be more active, you not only benefit from the weight loss, you can also reduce anxiety and improve your mood. Traveling actually helps reduce the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. As stress and anxiety decreases, mood increases, bringing many unexpected positive benefits in how we perceive ourselves, motivation, productivity, and our general outlook on life.” Travel Can Make You More Creative. In addition to gaining a better sex life, body image and an increased sense of overall happiness, more than two million respondents in the study, said that traveling made them more creative. Seeing things in a different way and having many first time experiences may be the reason that travel aids creativity.
Summation
It is worth putting in the effort and saving so you can realize your next holiday dream. You will find that the benefits leave you with a good feeling and an overall sense of health and well-being. You may even be pleasantly surprised by the loss of some extra pounds and the improvement in your sex life. If you long to see the moon on the other side of the world, make today that day and follow your dream. Featured photo credit: The G Brief via thegbrief.com
