Antidote to Covid blues
“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.
― Hans Christian Andersen, The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography
The world has opened up after Covid. People have started travelling. It is as if we have started to breathe again. There is such joy to be unfettered, to be able to go and see places - familiar and unfamiliar – meet people we love and others with whom we may bond in future. Who knows where our dreamlands lie and who awaits us.
Why do we travel? “According to psychologists ‘it lies in our brain, the way it’s programmed’. We, humans are fortunate in the world; we have an extra ordinary sense of experiencing and learning from the nature.Travelling is an emotion. We learn new, unknown, interesting facts of life and nature” (Archana Nanduri, counselling psychologist).
For ages, humans were wayfarers; they travelled for days, months and sometimes years in search of the unknown. Of lands they only imagined. Modern day travel provides more choices - it can be in hours and days. Based on what we choose, it could be airplanes, trains, buses, ships, boats and even on foot.
How travelling helps us bond
Travelling with children helps strengthen family bonding in many ways. Research shows ‘those who have had the opportunity to travel with their families from time to time, not only do benefit considerably from the time spent together, but also have a lasting impact on their development” (Dr. Michael Messina). We do not always have to travel long distances or take expensive vacations to get such benefits. Sometimes just a change from the daily routine or a short break may do the magic. Allowing children to participate in planning a vacation or a trip helps create excitement – builds a sense of positive anticipation and develops new skills. Every visit is an experience which creates memories that contributes tremendously to the growth and wellbeing of the family.
Being grateful for small things
Travelling helps appreciate small things in life which we may have taken for granted. For eg, imagine the pleasure of a hot shower after a long trek in the mountains. A meal enjoyed together, uninterrupted in the lap of nature, can be blissful. While undertaking small activities such as packing of bags or preparing a day pack, children learn to plan and prioritise, understand their roles and responsibilities better.
Learning from new experience
Visiting new places creates new experiences. When we see a new place, we feel it through our senses. It’s our direct experience so it expands our awareness, which then get stored in our brain and remains for forever. We can learn about new places, new people and their culture, their language and their ways. Dealing with everything new builds patience. It makes us adjust our pace. Children in particular get benefitted from experiencing all of these at a young age which expand their cognitive capability immensely.
New skills and perspectives
To learn how to communicate in a new language, how to deal with disappointments of sudden change, or an excitement of receiving something unexpected are the joys of traveling and bonding. Travelling helps children to understand that not everything will go as per plan always and that we should be prepared to deal with uncertainty and change. Travelling also helps build courage and a sense of adventure. For e.g., a night out camping in the nature or swimming in the seas, or even trekking a new route can boost their confidence tremendously. Even dealing with mosquitoes and spiders and other creepy crawlies in an old forest lodge will build their resilience for life.
Health and healing
During this pandemic, we realised how not being able to travel has impacted our physical and mental health. “Travelling outdoors initiates our body to release endorphins; they are chemicals that are naturally produced in our nervous system. Endorphins are called as ‘feel good chemicals’ they reduce perception of pain or stress, develop positive thoughts and make a person happy” (Archana Nanduri, consultant psychologist).
Travel helps us heal. It breaks the monotony. It breaks the set pattern of everyday life and refreshes us mentally and physically.
Real vs virtual moments
One last thing. Beautiful moments in our travel are for us to absorb and relive. In these digital days, we must curb the temptation of trying to record every moment for reliving them later and projecting them for others. For then we may miss to absorb the real moments forever. Travelling creates unique moments. Those moments for the family are a treasure. Bonding happens only when we are present in those beautiful moments- without distraction and disturbances from the stress of everyday living.
So go pack your bags and travel with your family. Experience life in all its colours. Let your children savour the joys of travel from a young age.
Bon Voyage!
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” ~ Saint Augustine
Anindita Pattanaik
(Consultant Psychologist and Mindfulness Practitioner)