Wholistic living is not about the lack of problems but the will to recognize them and the will to approach problems as challenges that you can solve. It’s also important for me to mention that while life is a continuous cycle, you can’t be always happy. Life may have phases of sadness, lack of imagination and melancholy that may signify depression. This can become a severe problem if it goes on for too long, requiring treatment.
If this is where you are right now, it’s likely that you’re thinking of how best to get yourself out of this dark world. But you don’t always have to pop the pills. Instead, consider finding a natural way of adapting; like travelling.
Embracing new experiences allows you to change the way see the world around you and eventually control depression. Even better, you can easily recover energy and gain strength to look inward and have hope for better days ahead.
Ways Travelling Helps you to Overcome Depression
When you set out on a journey it means you’re getting out of your comfort zone to embrace a new world. There are lots of opportunities to learn thus engaging your mind and keeping you more alive. By staying alert your mind will no longer focus on those things that suck away your energy. Here are some of the benefits of traveling in helping you overcome depression:
Travel helps you to plug into the world differently
The thing about depression is that it is fuelled by isolation. So, you may be wondering what good can come out of periods of isolation. But here’s the thing, unlike when you’re going through a phase of depression, travel lets you plug into those things that matter to you thus, shifting your focus from the negative thoughts.
As you go through the motions of adapting to a new place with so many things that are surprising, you’ll also meet people from different cultural backgrounds. As you meet people you’ve never met before, you may have to take care of their needs for a moment. This is important because it means forgetting about yourself for a moment to focus on others. As you embrace new realities, people and experiences it goes a long way in changing how your mind perceives life.
Traveling opens your world to a new perspective
If you’re going through depression, it’s likely that you’ll lose the will to go through life with a new perspective. In fact, you can’t see things beyond your immediate reality meaning you can’t assess your challenges appropriately.
Traveling opens your world so that you begin to see your life from the perspective of another person. Little by little things begin to get clearer as you assess your possibilities. Most importantly, all the lessons you’ll learn and live from will form the basis for your thoughts so that you begin thinking differently. Eventually, you’ll realize you’ve embraced a new thought pattern thus overcoming depression.
Through travel, you discover your capabilities
Sometimes the reason you’re depressed is because of lower self-esteem which makes you begin to feelings of inadequacy so much that you even underestimate yourself. However, when you travel, you’ll go through situations where your capabilities are put to test so you find yourself doing things thought were impossible.
When travelling you tend to feel free and don’t have the fear of being judged because nobody knows you. Let’s just say, you’re free to be who you want to be with no one to criticize us or expect you to behave in a certain way. This feeling of freedom is essential if you’re to overcome depression.
Nature is a natural antidepressant
Nature is therapeutic. The beauty of nature usually has a calming effect on mood. For instance, if you visit Croatia you have a chance to connect with nature, walk on sandy beaches, gaze into magnificent landscapes and watch the sunset while on a boat. It’s all breathtakingly relaxing; a natural antidepressant. This can be the cure you need to fight off depression, feelings of sadness and discouragement that sometimes want to drown us. After all, you’ve left everything behind and all you have is you.
Well, there’s so much travelling has to offer when it comes to helping you cope with and even get out of depression. The fact that you have a change of environment is in itself enough motivation to begin to see life from a different lens. However, if at the end of your travels you still feel sad and defeated, you may want to seek help from mental health professionals.
