We’ve heard the saying ‘change is as good as a holiday.’ But apparently, nothing quite is as good as a holiday, not even getting married or having a baby. This according to a study conducted by a travel booking site.
It’s no surprise that seeing new places boosts endorphins. In fact, many people have chosen the nomadic lifestyle for good. Now, this research which interviewed 17,000 people from 17 countries, revealed that for the majority, travel experiences brings more joy than material possessions. It’s not confined to a certain type of travel either. Backpacking on a a shoe string, hits the same sweet spot as a five star hotel on an exotic island.
Interestingly, the planning and research that goes down before the actual trip contributes just as much to the enjoyment of the holiday than the actual time spent at the destination.
A staggering 72% say they get a kick of excitement just from researching where to go on holiday. The booking and packing, of course, builds up a certain excitement and adds to joy when you eventually go.
Between booking and actually travelling, over a third admit to chasing a happiness boost by thinking about their holiday one or more times a day. In preparation, eight out of ten (80%) find happiness in looking at a map and researching places to visit, and over half like planning and shopping for their holiday wardrobe (52%). Almost eight out of 10 people (79%) say scrolling through pictures of destinations and beautiful accommodations – from apartments to villas, hotels and B&Bs – help them to feel happy in the run up to their holiday – and another six out of ten (61%) enjoy continuing to read reviews of the accommodation they’ve just booked.
Yet, all the anticipation in the world can’t replace the happiness of actually being on holiday with six out of ten (62%) feeling a surge of happiness when they set their out of office and leave work. Almost nine out of ten (87%) say it’s the first day of a holiday and seeing their accommodation for the first time (83%) that are the happiest holiday moments.
Shawn Achor, one of the world’s leading experts on happiness, bestselling author and speaker known for his advocacy of positive psychology explains:
‘Study after study has indicated that there is a huge boost to happiness in the “anticipatory phase” which occurs while planning and visualizing a trip. Based on a decade of research, the greatest competitive advantage in the modern world is a positive and engaged brain. In fact, I recently found that people who take all of their vacation days are not only happier, they are 34% more likely to receive a bonus over the next three years. Happy travel pays.’
Seems like booking that flight you thought about, is not only a responsible thing to to, it is detrimental to your health.
Image: Pixabay
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