Why Travel is the Best Remedy When You’re Feeling Stuck
5 Reasons Why Travel Is Medicine for the Soul
Everyone feels stuck from time to time, often when we've gotten trapped in a habit that’s not serving us – limiting beliefs, negative self-talk, an unfulfilling job or relationship. When we feel stuck in life, it can be hard to get going again. We may feel immobilized, incapable of taking action, which can lead to more feelings of anxiety and hopelessness, contributing to this cycle of internal tension and stagnation. There are many things you can do to pick yourself up when you feel stuck in a rut, but the tried and true method we always turn to is travel. We believe getting unstuck is as good an excuse as any to book a transformative trip that’s going to inspire you to take control of your life again.
Travel influencers like to advocate for catching flights not feelings, but why not do both? Why not catch flights to navigate your feelings, better understand and accept your emotional body, and help you feel through the stickiness? You can travel as far as you want, but you’ll never be able to escape yourself. You can, however, use travel to get closer to yourself.
When you’re feeling stuck, unfulfilled, uninspired, unhappy, and lacking direction, travelling can provide the external perspective shift you just may need to shift your internal perspective. Humans are habitual creatures deeply influenced by our physical environments, so when you feel yourself getting lost in the drone of your everyday life, what better way to step out of the daily grind than by changing your surroundings? Immersing yourself in new environments and ways of living can help you shake up your routine and challenge your expectations of what life can or should be. Travel can literally and figuratively unstick you from the rut you may have found yourself in.
The excitement, exhilaration, and newness that travel invites into your life can help you awaken a new passion for life. It’s like medicine for the soul. When you feel like you’re running on autopilot, getting on a plane to somewhere new can be all it takes for you to become the pilot of your life again and feel engaged and energized by your present experiences. So when you’re feeling stuck and considering booking that flight, remember these reasons for why travel can be the best remedy:
1. Gets you out of your comfort zone
Far away from the comfort and familiarity of your home, and what may be the restraints of your patterns and programming, you may gain new knowledge or perspectives you didn’t know you were craving. You may realize the thing you were stressing over is not that serious in the grand scheme or find that the answer you were searching for was right in front of you the whole time, the safety net of your surroundings was just blocking your view. By stepping out of your comfort zone, you’re physically stepping out of the places or narratives that yes, may have kept you safe, but may also have been preventing you from growing. Travelling and getting out of your comfort zone helps you to see and leave behind the stories that no longer serve you.
2. Empowers you to do things you didn’t know you could do
Traveling, especially solo travel, can give you a new sense of freedom and strength. As you navigate new places and situations, you’ll probably encounter situations that challenge and scare you. Through these opportunities, you’ll develop more trust and confidence in your ability to carry yourself through the world and face tough things. While it can be intimidating at first, the independence you gain while travelling is liberating. You get to practice being the creator of your choices and experiences. You’ll also develop a stronger relationship with yourself as you learn to spend time solely in your own company.
3. Helps you break out of your shell
There’s nothing quite like being in a foreign place, surrounded by an unfamiliar language, to force you to break out of your shell. When you’re travelling, the small things that seemed simple at home, such as taking public transit or eating out, suddenly feel huge. You’re in a new place, all by yourself, and in order for you to find your way around or make friends, you’re going to have to break out of your shell. Even in travel settings where you’re in community, like on a retreat, opening up may feel hard because there’s nowhere to hide, and that’s exactly why it gets you to embrace vulnerability – because you have no other choice. Putting yourself in situations and places where you have to put yourself out there can help you find your voice and get more comfortable with opening up.
4. Broadens your perspective of the world and your life
Travelling introduces you to new ways of living, being, and doing, expanding your knowledge and horizons. The new experiences, cultures, and people you’re exposed to while travelling will not only help you learn more about the world around you, but will also help you learn more about yourself and what you want from life. Travelling opens up your mind and heart to things that may not have seemed possible or you didn’t even realize were possible.
5. Helps you mark and celebrate transitions in your life
Going through a change in your life? Maybe you left your job or relationship and don’t know what lies ahead. Travelling can act as a ritual, helping you mark important transitions in your life. You may choose to travel to a new place simply to clear your mind as you decide next steps. Or you may choose to go on an intentional trip or retreat that’ll provide you with the skills or guidance you need to reconnect to your purpose, like we offer on our luxury Peruvian Soul Retreat. Whatever the circumstances may be, travelling can help you gain perspective and clarity during life’s transitions.
Looking for a reason to book that flight?
It can be difficult making the decision to spend the money on a flight, but travelling is one of the greatest ways to invest in yourself and in your inner growth. Sometimes we need to leave the place we’re in to get back to who we are. So if you’re feeling stuck, let yourself disappear for a week, a month, a year even, and come back as a whole new person. You won’t regret taking that trip for yourself to reflect, explore, unplug, relax, and reassess. Trust.