Who else is struggling with this Lockdown? I have not been doing good lately, mentally, and emotionally. Being stuck in one place makes me unfunctional, makes me overthink things, makes me lose my sanity and low.
As a traveler, being stuck at home not being able to go out even for a run or have an afternoon walk is mentally exhausting. Normally, I tend to travel at least once a month to sustain my sanity as ever since, traveling helped me a lot to be able to keep me sane. It's one way of releasing my stress from a very stressful IT job.
During this lockdown, I had some episodes in which I cry almost every other day. Sometimes, I feel like its not valid, there are times I feel it is. Different moods different days. Now that I am not traveling, every day is a battle for me. I guess we all are experiencing anxiety these days. I still have those episodes but I tried to fight it by reminiscing all the travels I had before lockdown. I try to edit my blurry videos haha, write more about my travel blogs, develop more my travel website, learning a new language, working out, etc.
When anxiety attacks me, the trap triggers, focus will lose in just a snap, hands are shaking, and as if all my senses don't seem to work. My comfort food doesn't seem to help. Trust me when I say it's hard. It is hard. Like there's no way for you to control it.
So sharing my travels in social media somewhat helps as I feel like I am traveling again. I am happy to share how my travels helped me with my anxiety before and now.
6 Reasons HOW TRAVEL HELPS my Mental Health
1. It Upholds my Happiness
- The moment I booked my flight, the excitement starts. I look forward every day, I'm too excited to go to work, I mark my calendar - so I would know how many days or months to go before my travel. It makes me happy! Very Happy!
2. One way of Working Out
- When I travel I tend to do some outdoor sports like rock climbing, camping, hiking, and trekking in that way I can still keep my body fit and healthy.
3. Reduce my Stress
- Traveling helps me to release my stress by doing a lot of adventures could be indoor or outdoor or even random activities that make me feel excited to do.
4. Teaches me to Communicate
- I grew up shy and timid and not be able to talk to people. I have crowd anxiety until now however when I started traveling it enables me to communicate openly to strangers and now I'm very confident and have earned tons of friends all over the world.
5. Improve my Relationship
- When I travel, I sometimes meet possible relationships which something you cannot control as a human being. You would meet someone you will be connected with. Decided to travel together. And you know what they say "you can only know the person when you travel with them". Its a way of knowing a person, share travel plans together, set goals, make compromises, bring you more closely with that person that would create long term relationships. When you and your partner travel together, you will understand each other's differences, cultures and perspectives.
But don't get me wrong, "I Don't Travel to find Love". I Travel because its a part of me - I'm a footloose. But along the way, I will meet different kinds of people or travelers' perse. I will witness their soul and heart and for some reason, it makes my journey more exciting especially when you meet someone with your same level of adventures.
6. Helps Overcome my Anxiety
- When I travel, I feel like I'm living in the present. Anxiety is not a joke, I'm more of a feeling that I tend to avoid talking about it to people because people don't understand. Instead, they would judge you by saying "you are just overthinking".
This is the reason, why I TRAVEL SOLO - I care less about people and just focus on myself. I become positive and independent.
I tend to worry less because I'm not with anyone.
When I travel, I don't experience anxiety.
I'm not scared.
I'm focused.
I'm moving.
I'm positive.
I'm smiling. I'm free.