The wanderer returns

SIMPLY DREAMING OF AND PLANNING YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE CAN MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER

During this longest of winters, starting to think about when we can venture out into the world again and filling up some of the empty spaces on the calendar (even if it’s only in pencil for now) can offer a psychological lift from what can feel like eternal groundhog days. Psychotherapist Ruairi Stewart ( happy-whole.mykajabi. com) says that planning a trip, even if it’s still some way off, is a great way to shift perspective and raise spirits. “As human beings we spend a lot of time in our minds, thinking about the future,” he says. “Planning a positive experience, like a trip away, will give you something to focus your attention on and provide an escape from your current routine.”

GOOD EXPERIENCE

Whilst buying something can give you a temporary mood boost, research shows that’s its experiences rather than material things that provide the most long-lasting happiness. In his book, Time and How to Spend It:

The 7 Rules for Richer, Happier Days (WH Allen),

James Wallman outlines experiences as one of the key contributors to happiness and success. “Experiences give us a sense of identity,” he says. “They give us stories, stories give us conversation and conversation creates the connections that make us happy.” One study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill showed that people who engage in a variety of experiences are more likely to retain positive emotions than those who stick to a lifetime of routine. As such, adventurers are

better equipped to stave off anxiety and depression. “The importance of novel experiences is something that lockdown has really highlighted,” agrees Ruairi.

Many of us have already had holiday plans cancelled and postponed and possibly lost money in the process, so are understandably going to feel nervous about booking trips again. But that shouldn’t stop us from planning – and feeling the benefits of having something on the horizon. In fact, the researching and looking forward to the experience can be just as uplifting as the actual event. “Research shows that the anticipation of an experience ( like a holiday) can increase a person’s happiness substantially,” says Ruairi. Even if you’re not going away in the immediate future, having something to talk about other than what you’re watching on Netflix has to make you feel more interested and interesting.

You’d be forgiven for feeling that you’ve spent enough downtime with your family recently, but if tempers have been fraying at home, some time away together could actually help. A study by the Arizona Department of Health and Human Services found that women who took holidays were more satisfied with their marriages and other research showed that spending time enjoying life with your loved ones keeps relationships strong and helps you cope better with the stress of the hard times. If you have children, doing activities together helps to open up communication and creates shared memories, which all help to build a better family dynamic. Planning a trip with close friends on the other hand could be a great way to recover lost time, rekindle important relationships (and maybe have a break from the family!).

SMART AND SUSTAINABLE

Some of us are finding that lockdown has left us with a renewed desire to make those bucket list experiences finally happen. Setting the ball rolling by reading up on different destinations, starting to research travel companies and possible itineraries will whet your appetite and give you something to feel excited about. You understandably might not be ready to make any financial commitment but many companies are offering flexible booking and no-commitment advice and with a boom in bookings expected once the green flag is waved for travel, those who have a plan in place, or at least know where they want to go, will be at an advantage. Sam Clark, Co-founder and Director of Asia specialist travel company Experience Travel Group (experiencetravelgroup.com) says their customers are keen to start planning, so the company have tried to de-risk the booking and planning process by offering a reduced deposit of £100 on bookings (refundable if the trip can’t go ahead). “That way we can still get on with the planning, which has a really positive effect not only on our employees but also the suppliers in-country,” he says. “If you’re not feeling it yet, you’re not feeling it. But if you’re itching to get away after lockdown ends and are ready to start planning and have something to look forward to, we’d love to help.” Sam also reflects on the impact the pandemic has had on the travel industry. “It’s going to be smaller than before,” he says. “And we need to come back smarter. Some things will have improved, like over-tourism, and we need to learn from this and keep improving from a sustainability perspective.

We’ve got an amazing opportunity to do better.”

If you’re nervous about going somewhere far-flung then start small and consider alternative ways of travelling, like trains and ferries instead of flying, and visit out of season, too. Even a long weekend away will give you a lift – one study reported a reduction in stress levels following a 4-day break lasted for up to 45 days.

After recent events it can be hard to picture yourself all carefree again, crossing continents, soaking up different cultures or even venturing far from the little world you’ve grown so accustomed to. But our natural curiosity and wanderlust will surface sooner or later and when it does, and we have the go ahead to travel, being ready to leap can only be a positive thing.

“The anticipation of an experience can be just as uplifting as the event”