Travel Stress Relief
Stress Relief through Travel
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What is stress?
Stress is your bodies way of reacting to anything – the good and the bad of life. Stress is what keeps us moving and tending to all of life’s responsibilities.
We have come to think of stress as a nasty word. Too much stress is a bad thing. It eats at us – literally and figuratively.
Why is stress bad?
We HATE stress! It ages us, gives us grey hair and wrinkles, and hardens our arteries. It keeps us from sleeping and enjoying life. We talk less, we gripe and complain more.
We need to get away from it all to let the stress fade away. We need a breather because stress is everywhere – deadlines at work, school projects, laundry, bills, dentist visits, vet visit, oil changes, and so on seemingly forever.
Even wonderful life experiences can create stress – weddings, moves for job promotions, and college graduations. So many things to do and so little time.
Stress is literally killing us.
The American Heart Association has this to say about stress,
“When stress is excessive, it can contribute to everything from high blood pressure, also called hypertension, to asthma to ulcers to irritable bowel syndrome ,” said Ernesto L. Schiffrin, M.D., Ph.D., physician-in-chief at Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital…”
“Maybe this sounds a little overdramatic, but unfortunately the reality is that excessive, untreated stress can actually kill you.”
How to take a Breather from Stress
You can take a breather from the world! You can relax and let the stress roll away – on vacation! Extend YOUR life by years – literally and take a BREAK. Teach your children that self-care is important. Show them you can put away your work for a break and savor your family.
It is time for new beginnings! A fresh start! Time to turn over a new leaf!
Travel is the perfect antidote for the stress that kills families.
Travel Stress Relief- Travel gives us time to talk.
We need to really talk. Not the boring things that we talk about on a day to day basis, but really talk.
Talk about what moves us, our dreams, our ideas, our thoughts – that is what you get to do when you step away from the real world. Vacations do that for us!
Day to day our conversations are short snip it’s of “How was your day?” – which often gets nothing more than a snarled, “FINE.” or “The same as always, mom.” from a teenager.
Otherwise, we discuss the day to day family workings, “Who made this mess?” and “Is your homework done?” and “I have no idea where your _______ is…” and “I am NOT the maid!” and so on.
With your spouse, your once fantastic daydreaming conversations turn to ‘How was work?’ and ‘Can you pick up __________ on the way home?’ and ‘Can you take the van in for an oil change?’. These are important parts of life, but really….aren’t they boring?
During the usual day to day of work and school and extracurricular activities, we don’t have time to really, really talk.
Take time over long holiday dinners to ask deeper things and learn more about each other. The days are long but the years are short and your kids are growing up. They’ll be gone one day…soak them up now and learn all you can!
Travel Stress Relief – Time to snuggle.
Everyone has their ‘love language’ and receives love in their own way.
Some kids love to talk and desperately want you to listen. Others literally want you to snuggle. Read up on how each one of your family members receives love. This book is amazing!
No matter each person’s individual love language, healthy humans NEED touch.
According to Psychology Today, scientific research shows touch can give us these benefits:
- Decreased violence
- Trust between Individuals.
- Increased Health
- Ability to work as a stronger team
- Increased learning
- Increased overall well being
Who doesn’t want all of THAT for their children???
So, pat your child – and yourself on the back and head off into the sunset for a vacation.
During that vacation, snuggle while you wait on your restaurant table to be ready, snuggle while you read a bedtime story, hold hands while you walk down the street. Soak it up.
Travel Stress Relief – Time to strengthen the bonds that make us family.
Use the extra – stress-free and work free time you have on vacation to do the things that strong families do!
- Talk to each other.
- Spend time together
- Be your family member’s BIGGEST fan.
Travel Stress Relief – Time to explore!
Exploration increases curiosity in whatever it is you want to see! Science also says that in particular, exploring outside gives specific benefits to our mental state of mind. Improve YOUR child’s state of mind – and your own by heading outside! The perfect vacation has a little of both inside and outside exploration!
Travel Stress Relief – Time to try new things.
Zip-lining wouldn’t have been on my agenda this day without the chickadees’ encouragement! After this great experience, we tried it again!
Read about our Zip Lining Experience as an excursion from a Disney Cruise.
Travel Stress Relief – Time to learn new things
Learning new things is something that kids are really used to..the younger the child the more likely absolutely everything around them is new! Kids are happy and curious to try new things. Sometimes older kids, especially those of the grouchy teen ages, need a little nudge to try something new. You can pat yourself on the back and give yourself a gold star in parenting when you give your child the opportunity to try new things.
Teach them the life skills you get from trying new things!
To try new things you need to be brave!
Think you are teaching your girls to be as brave as you are teaching your boys? Are you sure about that? Take a look at this really interesting TED talk by Caroline Paul discussing some of the subtle and unintentional ways we undermine our kids who are learning to be brave. Brave is a SKILL that needs to be learned and practiced under the guidance of adults.
Trying new things opens new doors to liking something new!
This is an especially good way to get kids to try new foods. We have some picky eaters that live at our house so we know a thing or two about trying to get kids to get new things! Read more about how we travel with a picky eater.
Keep intellectually stimulated and stay away from boredom – at any age!
We learned how soap is made during a visit to Canada. You never know what you’ll learn when you travel!
Grow by expanding your comfort zone.
The more that you expose a brain to new things the more connections you make. Healthy brains are full of connections from a lifetime of wonderful new and challenging experiences that stretch thinking. Give your kids and yourself the best possible defense against dementia in later life by creating a really strong and healthy brain now!
Travel Stress Relief – Time to rejuvenate!
Rejuvenate on vacation. Get some extra rest. Spend a few minutes each day stretching! Look out the window and admire the view and breath deeply. Stare deeply at your family and feel gratitude for them.
As a matter of fact, “Our relationships with others are the greatest determinant of our happiness.” Make your entire family happier by spending time together and building a relationship to build up your whole family!
Travel Stress Relief – But what about the stress of planning the adventure?
It is easy to get overwhelmed when planning a trip. There is SOOO much information online.
Recently I just glazed over trying to choose the right ferry vs cruise for our upcoming trip to Greece. I had so many ferry times in my head – I had to take a break!
For some, like me, this sort of research is like a puzzle I need to put together without a picture to go by! Some people love hard puzzles like that and for others…it just gives them a headache.
If you travel planning gives you a headache then hire help! Investing in your vacation will make it EVEN better. My website has all the tips and how-to’s you need for stress-free planning!
Travel with an Infant can be done!
No worries about the electronics ban on flight! Kids’ Activities
Choose the BEST hotel for your family adventure!
Travel Stress Relief – Invest time in your family.
Don’t you find yourself rushing around? Hurrying to the vet, to the grocery store, to buy a gift for a birthday party? Barely pausing to drop one child at the dance before rushing to drop the other at baseball practice? I know I do! Sometimes I meet myself coming and going.
STOP the madness for a few days on vacation.
During your vacation, you are all together….all in the same place…with time. Time for talking, for laughing for each other. Reconnect. Invest in this special time together because time marches on. The kids grow up and leave. Savor the time you have together.
Your family knows you better than anyone else…and loves you anyway.
Travel can improve the health of your entire family! Read more about heart disease protection in these related posts.
Don’t Die from Heart Disease! Protect Yourself and Your Family with Vacations and Holidays
Benefit Your Health with Vacations
The Educational Tourist is a TOP Family Travel Blog!
Happy Travels,
Natalie, The Educational Tourist
I knew I needed a vacation!!
We all do!!! 🙂
Yes its really a valid point. I always like to travel to set up the mood from a condition of fully stressed.