THE NEUROSCIENCE OF TRAVELING AND HOW IT BENEFITS YOUR BRAIN AND HEALTH

Oh, the places you'll go!

Dr. Seuss

As we are days away from summer and approaching what appears to be the final stages of a two-year global pandemic, many are planning their getaways. Whether this involves a short excursion to a nearby campground or a long, anticipated overseas flight to an exotic land, travel plans are currently in full swing. We have been longing for connection and adventure. The itinerary may include visiting a new locale or re-visiting a repeat destination; perhaps re-connecting with family and friends.

To know me is to know I love traveling, whether through direct personal experience or vicariously learning of another's adventure, I am that person who will ask to see your travel photos and video clips, and will inquire about your travel itinerary. Although my favorite mode of transportation is air travel, I certainly do not discount ships, trains and cars. Hitting the waters, tracks and roads excite me, but heading toward an airport, locating my flight and gate terminal, and eventually stepping on the jet bridge can best be described as a release of happy neurochemicals not at all dissimilar to the Pavlovian response.

Many are enthusiastically looking forward to an adventure. Passports renewed, summer wardrobe updated, and dusty suitcases removed from the attics, we are eager to go! And, more importantly, we should go!

As humans, we were not meant to live the same day, every day, in the same way, without adding healthy doses of variety and adventure. Just as we were not meant to live dull lives, we were certainly not meant to live in a manner too many are currently describing as "stressed out."

An alarming number of humans are living lives that are unsustainable, with rates of?chronic illness, anxiety and burnout escalating at exponential rates.?We are spending less time?outdoors, tapping into nature's?rhythm and bountiful health offerings,?and more time indoors, in isolation, and in front of screens. Few are reporting feeling energized, focused, and a general sense of well-being.?

Dysregulated, distracted, and disconnected, we have allowed ourselves to fall into habits that?reinforce this unhealthy and heavily tech-driven lifestyle. One experience many have expressed missing over the past two years is traveling and there has been greater emphasis placed in prioritizing either short excursions or "bucket-list" destinations as a result of lockdowns and isolation. While time is measured in minutes, our memories are measured in moments. Our bucket lists connect us with living these moments in full recognition that a life well-lived is one in which there are few regrets and many happy memories. These memories will create sources of coveted and nostalgic reminders that we will enjoy sharing with others and re-visiting in our later years.

BURNOUT & STRESS

Chaotic lives give rise to chronic stress and inflammation and are certainly not precursors to a??joie de vivre,?but instead to a joyless and stressed existence.?

Burnout has unfortunately reached epidemic proportions, across industries and not just for health professionals (for whom the term was originally applied). The coining of the term "burnout" from a clinical perspective is largely attributed to American psychologist,?Herbert Freudenberger,?who in 1974?described it as the?outcome of severe stress in "helping" professionals. Over time, the term has generalized to other professions and is no longer restricted to?those in the healing arts. Burnout results in energy exhaustion, procrastination, workplace disconnection, and reduced productivity.

The feeling of burnout has reached?alarming proportions, fueled by the cumulative effects of the pandemic in combination with other life stressors.

While occasional stress and anxiety are normal parts of life, persistent and uncontrollable levels eventually become disabling.?Stress is meant to be temporary. Following a stressful occurrence or period, the body returns to a natural state. The heart rate slows, the muscles relax, and breathing returns to normal. It is the heaviness of?chronic?stress that increases the likelihood of poor health and an overall poor outcome.

Whereas fantasies of visiting faraway lands and temporarily escaping our day-to-day are typical and inherent in almost all humans, deep preoccupation or obsession with escaping one's life is not. The latter is often rooted in lack of purpose and/or exhaustion, often leading to feelings of depression. So, is traveling the magic elixir? In and of itself, the short answer is no; however, can it help? Yes! There's magic in planning and going on a trip. Traveling is a form of self-care and heading toward a desired or dream destination allows us to check this off our coveted bucket list, resulting in a feeling of satisfaction and deep sense of accomplishment.

FAMILIARITY PROVIDES COMFORT

VARIETY PROVIDES STIMULATION

The building blocks of a good trip are as individual as our personal needs, emotions, and intentions. Conduct a self-inventory and ask yourself what you need. Is touring Napa Valley's vineyards resonating with you or is your soul looking for a private and secluded beach? What is considered fun and invigorating to one person can be experienced as exhausting and depleting to another. While some enjoy scheduling a tightly packed sight-seeing itinerary, making sure to cover as many museums, cathedrals, and natural attractions as possible, others would find this timetable to be stressful and counterproductive to their need for a slower pace and solitude.

A CHANGE IN SCENERY IS GOOD FOR THE BRAIN

Creativity peaks when we mix things up.?Novel experiences, carefully woven into our lives have the potential to energize our minds, and create new pathways for growth as observed in the proliferation of neuroscience research in recent years supporting neuroplasticity.?Upon returning home from a trip, travelers typically report a renewed sense of energy and motivation, expressing the vacation was exactly what they needed. Between empirical neuroscience research and anecdotal accounts of vacationers' experience, we can extrapolate that traveling is beneficial to our minds and bodies.

Novelty increases attention and promotes learning, and is therefore what our brains seek to remain supple and youthful, and operate at peak performance.

Traveling opens our eyes to our world and delivers a rich and diverse stimulation of new experiences, providing both cognitive and sensory nourishment.

Imagine sunning on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro or Monaco, cruising out of the port of Alexandria or Miami, scaling the mountains of Vesuvius or Everest, visiting a cafe in Paris or Madrid, or people watching on Bourbon Street or Trafalgar Square. Exploring new architecture, landscapes, and cultures, and actively engaging in our world stimulate the brain in profound ways.

NEUROPLASTICITY

Neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to continue to be shaped, molded, or altered, provides new hope and is one of the most exciting and wide-reaching discoveries in modern day science. We now know that?the brain, with its billions of neurons communicating with one another through the transmission of electric nerve impulses, is more malleable than previously thought. Our neurons have an?enormous number of?computational capabilities with various capacities, and the experiences we have will determine which of those capacities will be utilized and strengthened.?

Stepping out of our comfort zone and embracing new experiences are, in part, the reasons behind traveling's benefits. When in a new environment, or re-visiting a familiar one but with a fresh outlook, we are waking up our brain. We are switching from auto pilot to neuronal firing of new, rather than habitual, experience.

EXPERIENCE ANTICIPATORY ENTHUSIASM

While crossing oceans and time zones can be quite exciting, a get-away does not need to involve travels of this magnitude. We don't have to go far to experience traveling's healing effects.

Exploring local areas, within for example a 2-hour driving radius, can be soothing and relaxing. Consider pitching a tent and spending a few days at a local campsite or kayaking, canoeing or paddle boarding in nearby waters. The very act of connecting with nature is calming to our nervous systems. It reflects a deep act of self-care. While few would disagree the importance of self-care, it is unfortunately not prioritized in our lives. When stressed, it is the?first?to go. Self-care encourages us to have and maintain a healthy relationship with ourselves so that we can extend our good energy to others. We cannot adequately and efficiently care for and/or give to others when fatigued, depleted, or overwhelmed.

Planning a trip, marking it on our calendar, and anticipating our travel date are motivation boosters. Each and every time we see our trip on our planner, we immediately invoke the power of our visual system to create images of upcoming events. It creates a preview of the future. Attach a photo of the destination for greater impact. Rather than experiencing anticipatory anxiety, it helps us experience anticipatory enthusiasm.

"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you."

Anne Lamott

The benefits of traveling are plentiful. Traveling boosts both mental and physical health. It resets and recalibrates our lives, which serves to enhance productivity and creativity, while reducing debilitating feelings of stress and burnout. Also, when traveling to destinations of different cultures, it connects us with our humanity. We not only learn about our differences, but also of our similarities. We create moments that translate into memories. These memories become part of our personal repertoire and collection of experiences that we will happily share and look back upon with fondness. As the years pass, we will be pleasantly and positively reminded of a life fully lived.

You know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are? Anchor chains, plane motors and train whistles.

-George Bailey (It's a Wonderful Life)

Reference

Freudenberger, H. (1974) Staff Burnout. Journal of Social Issues, 30, 159-165.

The information presented in this article is intended for?general knowledge?and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for burnout, stress and depression.?As with most things in life, there isn't a magic pill or "cure-all" but there are strategies to regain control of your life and your health.?Awareness and acknowledgment?of feelings of burnout and stress are good first steps.?Do not hesitate to reach?out for support.?This could be a friend, family member, co-worker, clergy and/or mental health professional.?

FACEBOOK:?Marie Therese Rogers and LIFE IN FOCUS

BLOG: drmarierogers.blogspot.com

?INSTAGRAM: Mariethereserogers

Author: LIFE IN FOCUS: A Self-Discovery for Powerful Transformation

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