5 Ways 'Wellness' Travel Can Motivate You

C-suite executives can quickly become overwhelmed with the demands of their job, but it’s important not to forget about looking after your mental health. Taking a break, even if only for a short vacation or extended weekend away, is not just beneficial — research has found that wellness travel trips give several rewards for improved mental well-being, such as lower stress levels and better cognitive performance. In this post, we’ll discuss five ways ‘wellness’ travel can help stimulate your overall psychological happiness while enabling you to stay productive within your organization.

What is travel wellness?

Let’s discuss exactly what we mean by ‘wellness’ travel. Wellness travel is a form of leisure tourism where travelers seek to restore and improve their mental and physical well-being through activities ranging from yoga retreats to executive health checkups. It also involves eating healthy, physical exercise, meditation, etc.

The term wellness tourism describes traveling to better one’s mental state through physical, psychological, or spiritual activities. The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness tourism as a travel associated with maintaining or enhancing one’s well-being. With so much unwellness embedded in today’s travel, wellness tourism promises to combat those negative qualities and turn travel into an opportunity to maintain and improve our holistic health.

The global wellness tourism market is expected to proliferate in the next few years, increasing 11.5% from $718.50 billion in 2021 to $801.45 billion in 2022 and 8.2% from there to reach $1098.42 billion by 2026.

Although related, wellness and medical tourism are two distinct markets that often need to be understood. This is due to a need for more knowledge about these areas, destinations, government organizations, and promotion agencies using different terms interchangeably. The term “health tourism” is often used to describe various medical and wellness services, including open heart surgery, dental care, destination spas, and yoga retreats. However, these two sectors usually don’t overlap and serve different purposes.

It may be helpful to consider our health and well-being as existing on a spectrum:

On the left, we have Illness, Injury, and poor health. The medical model focuses on treating these conditions. Medical tourism is an example of this — for instance, traveling somewhere else for surgery or dental work because it’s cheaper or higher quality than what’s available at home.

On the right side, tourism which is motivated by proactively maintaining a healthy lifestyle, reducing stress, preventing disease, and improving well-being, is called wellness tourism.

Generally speaking, there is some overlap between medical tourism and wellness tourism. For example, both might utilize a region’s basic infrastructure for tourist amenities. However, the types of visitors involved and the activities and service providers are pretty different between medical and wellness tourism.

Although it may seem like running away, travel can actually be very beneficial to your mental health. Wellness tourism has shown us that visiting new places outside our comfort zones can help improve our mental state. This is due to the adventure and excitement of meeting new people and making memories in different locations.

5 ways travel stimulates your mental health

Like any other specialty, wellness travel consists of unique experiences that vary from destination to destination. Factors such as cuisine, natural resources, and local culture make each place different in terms of wellness. Some travelers might be content with a workout, massage, or smoothie, while others want something more linked to the specific location they’re visiting. This is especially true for millennial travelers who desire engaging and one-of-a-kind experiences over generic ones. Many aspects make each destination unique and special for wellness travelers. These include local ingredients, culinary traditions, culture, history; indigenous healing practices; ancient/spiritual traditions; native plants and forests, special mud, minerals, and water.

Continue reading to discover five reasons travel is good for mental health.

Strengthen your mental health skills

Traveling is an excellent way to reduce stress, both mental and physical. If you’re feeling overwhelmed at work, take a vacation! Getting away from it all can help you feel calm and relaxed, improving your Mental health. Taking time off also gives your mind a chance to reset and heal from the tension and pressure of work-life. This is especially beneficial for your physical health.

Researchers have long known that there is a correlation between travel and happiness, but this was especially evident during the global pandemic. In May 2020, Nature Neuroscience published the results of a study in which 132 adults were tracked for several months. The data showed that those who traveled to different places reported more positive emotions than those who stayed home. The MRI scans of around half the subjects showed that those who frequently visited new places had more brain activity in the hippocampus and stratum- two regions that handle novelty and reward.

People can learn skills like meditation and mindfulness at wellness retreats and have healing treatments and counseling sessions with professionals. This way, individuals can use what they learned at home in their everyday lives.

Relax and recharge those stress levels

When your body releases cortisol, it alerts your immune system that danger might exist. In response, inflammation occurs as part of the Immune System’s reaction. Once the stressor has passed, cortisol signals your immune system to return to its normal state. This mechanism works well when you’re only experiencing acute stress, which happens suddenly and then goes away quickly. However, many people suffer from chronic stress, which is constant and long-lasting, instead of passing swiftly. Poor diets, sleep deprivation, work-related problems, or issues in personal relationships are just some examples of a long list of possible causes of chronic stress.

Unwinding at a wellness retreat is an excellent way to de-stress and give your body and mind a chance to recharge. With no pressure to sight-see or explore the nightlife, you’ll be able to relax with leisurely walks, afternoon naps, and taking things at your own pace. This trip relieves acute stress and restates your adrenal glands and immune system some rest.

Let go of your comfort zone

The first time most of us travel to an unfamiliar place is always the hardest. It requires stepping out of your comfort zone, which can be nerve-wracking. However, the more often we confront our fears, the less daunting they become. Our brains learn how to tackle ‘hard’ problems and get stronger at doing so each time– building our confidence until we finally chase after our dreams and make them a reality.

You will inevitably grow as a person when you work and live in an unfamiliar place. When we have a good time with someone new, our brain releases dopamine which feels excellent and causes us to focus more on what the other person is saying. Disagreeing with others can help improve understanding of topics from multiple perspectives. When you travel, you’ll meet people with beliefs that conflict with your own; but this exposure to different cultures can be beneficial, as it allows you to stretch your boundaries and try new things.

Ultimately with time, you’ll develop more self-assurance because you’ll know that you can accomplish anything if you set your mind to it. And this additional confidence will have significant impacts on different areas of your life — from nailing an important business deal to fulfilling a personal objective. So, next time you feel like remaining at home instead of exploring the world, remember all the excellent benefits of taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone!

Reset your creative process

You may be surprised that your creativity has increased by taking vacations and getting away from work. This is because you are relieving yourself of stress, experiencing new things, and filling yourself with positive emotions. Consequently, after some time off work, you will come back with a greater variety and originality of ideas. Exploring the world also makes it easier for you to solve problems and see things in a different light — both skills that contribute to creativity.

Traveling exposes you to new cultures, which can help you see the world differently and be more productive. Don’t think you have to travel far from home to reap the benefits of cultural immersion — even short trips can do wonders for your creativity. New experiences, different cultures, and a focus on personal growth can all lead to transformative moments while traveling. When people from all over the world share their ideas, it makes the planet more creative as a whole.

Letting go of Self-judgement

Simply put, self-care is making an effort to improve or maintain one’s health. This means being purposeful and routine in showing compassion to oneself to promote overall wellness. To do this effectively, list things you usually do daily that drain your energy — like reading the news, emailing co-workers, and going to bed late — and avoid them. When you explore the world, you can experience all that life has to offer. From the wonders of an idle mind and the freedom from obligations to breathing fresh air in a forest and feeling the sand underneath your feet with the gentle sound of crashing waves. Reducing stress is crucial for your health, so don’t hesitate to book that trip you’ve been wanting! Being kind to yourself is vital in developing the ability to cope with life’s challenges — it allows us to accept that we might not be at our best, but it doesn’t mean that we deserve any less love and support. A little extra effort to care for yourself can make a big difference!

Conclusion

So, what did we learn about wellness travel, executive health, and mental health? Taking everything into account, traveling for wellness positively impacts executive health, mental health, and overall wellness. It allows you to get away from stress, explore new cultures, experience new things, and build self-confidence. Additionally, it allows you to take time off from work and reset your creative process. Finally, traveling helps in letting go of self-judgment and fostering self-care.

As leaders, it’s essential to take time for ourselves and rejuvenate.

About the Author

The Executive Health Doc™, Dr. Shahan Chowdhury, is an executive health expert and concierge medicine pioneer working with companies that seek to ignite professional and personal growth in their executives. She is consistently ranked in the top 10% of executive health providers in the United States. Her clinic, Tailored Health, is located in Frisco, TX, and empowers senior leaders to become the executives of their health and long-term well-being.

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