BY: MATTHEW CHIN
Going on a good old fashioned road trip is a surefire way to increase spontaneity, lower stress and inspire creativity, which lasts after you return from the trip.
It encourages you to explore an otherwise overlooked part of your country, and learn to go with the flow. When going on a vacation to a foreign destination, preparing for the trip can involve months of preparation and saving. From booking tickets, to packing luggage, getting ready for a trip can become regimented because it focuses on the destination and not the journey. Adventure is what takes precedence on the road, which gives you the freedom to explore at a fraction of the cost.
In the United States, 85.8 per cent of males and 66.5 per cent of females work more than 40 hours per week according to a United Nations study, and almost one third of adults have symptoms of insomnia. The increase in insomnia is due to the use of technology, for leisure or for escape from stress, which has a negative effect on sleep.
Going on a road trip alleviates the stress of work and the use of technology, since you have the independence to travel wherever you want and the freedom to avoid a planned route. Good friends help turn an unfortunate situation into serendipity, where rain, construction, and flat tires you may face along the way can become an opportunity for exploring new routes and sampling different cultures. Some studies have shown that 89 per cent of travellers feel significantly more relaxed within the first two days of their journey.
Photographer: Photolyric
Often when working long hours, your mind begins to melt from the habitual sights, tastes and smells, which make your body yearn for escape. On the road, your mind will be stimulated with a wash of new sensations that can even increase your creativity. A study from the University of Aalborg found that when you migrate away from a familiar place and become a stranger on unfamiliar land, it enhances creativity since it requires you to adopt a new frame of thinking. By appreciating multiple viewpoints of the world, you gain a broader perspective, which in turn improves your understanding and influences your creativity.
Phtographer: stevecoleimages
Going on a road trip with good friends will help you forget about the stress, become more spontaneous and embrace creativity. Passing by waterfront landscapes, rural farmland, mountains, and roadside stops, you experience new cultures without spending exorbitant fares. What separates road trips from any other form of vacations is that it allows you to live in the moment, focusing on the journey, not the destination, and follow your wanderlust.
Sources: gr-assets.com, amazonaws.com
