How A Change Of Scenery Can Improve Your Mental Health

Traveling outside of your comfort zone has many benefits for a person, both mentally and physically. But especially for people who are looking to improve upon themselves or kick a habit that they’ve been needing to overcome, having a change of scenery can be just what is needed to finally accomplish your goals. So to give you even more reasons to travel throughout your lifetime, here are three ways that a change of scenery brought on by traveling can improve your mental health.

Remove Old Mental Triggers

When you begin making something a habit, the pathways of your brain become more and more used to the way that certain piece of information or arousal is conveyed. But according to Gregory Ciotti, a contributor to Psychology Today, when you have a change of scenery and are out of your normal routine and comfort zone, those pathways aren’t as heavily utilized. Because of this, when you’re traveling or in a physically new location, it’s easier for you to stop old, bad habits and start new, good habits, both of which can be great for your mental health.

Reduce Your Stress Levels

Being in a new and exciting place can work wonders for lowering your stress levels. And although it’s common for some parts of traveling to elicit stress, the overall level of stress that many people feel while traveling to a new place is lowered. Additionally, Hannah Jury, a contributor to Psych Central, shares that stress can be lowered when experiencing a change of scenery because we’re not experiencing the same kind of stress that we feel in our normal lives. And when you have less stress in your life, your mental health can be greatly improved. Not only can you be more relaxed mentally, but reduced stress levels can also be beneficial to your physical health, too.

Become More Content

According to Gretchen Reynolds, a contributor to The New York Times, a study has shown that when people get a change of scenery, even just for a small amount of time during the day, they can become much more content in their lives. The study found that when people spent time outdoors and outside of their typical stomping grounds, the participants became much more attentive and happy. Knowing this, it follows that those of us who choose to travel occasionally and experience the natural world around us can be much more mentally healthy.

If you’re looking for a way to improve your mental health while experiencing new cultures and sights, consider how traveling through the world could help you become a happier, more relaxed person who’s ready to overcome their unhealthy habits.