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Even though it feels like the year just started, 2018 is nearly over. As we make our way through the holiday season, it’s time to start thinking about our New Years Resolutions for 2019. Instead of making the same old resolutions to lose weight or get a new job, why not change things up next year and commit to going somewhere new? It could be better for you than you might think. Here are some reasons why you should be resolving to travel somewhere new in 2019.
Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone
When you hear the phrase ‘step outside your comfort zone’ you probably picture jumping out of an airplane or something else equally terrifying, but you don’t have to put yourself in danger of bodily harm to step outside of your comfort zone. When we travel, even if we’re going thousands of miles, we tend to plan trips to places that we’re familiar with. It’s more comfortable – but there are plenty of benefits of stepping outside of that comfort zone.
Stepping outside your bubble makes you more adaptable to change and can help you grow, whether you want to or not. It also helps you to develop the size of your comfort zone. If you’re uncomfortable the first time you travel to a new place, you’ll find ways to make it comfortable.
We Live in a Global Economy
There’s a reason that many big companies won’t hire someone unless they’re fluent in more than one language. When it comes down to it, we live in a global economy and diversity is the key to making businesses thrive. Even if you’re not planning on working for a company that has a branch in the country that you’re visiting, just getting out there helps to improve your diversity.
Plus, there’s no better way to learn a language – any language – than being completely immersed in it and learning from native speakers. You might not be working with representatives from Ecuador, for example, but you can still enjoy the hospitality, food, and culture offered by the indigenous people of the country, and come home with an improved appreciation for diversity.
Improved Creativity and Productivity
Working in a creative field can be exhausting. It’s hard to be creative all day long, whether you’re writing, painting, or creating new marketing schemes to elevate your company. Travel has been proven to help make you more creative by improving your brain’s ability to make connections. Traveling to foreign locales increases cognitive flexibility – it’s like yoga for your mind. Foreign doesn’t necessarily mean abroad though – just places that are unfamiliar to you.
Travel has also been proven to be beneficial to your physical health. It may even have a hand in preventing or lessening the effects of neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s, because traveling constantly engages your mind.
You don’t necessarily need to travel abroad to benefit from an increase in understanding and diversity. Just get out of your local area – if you live in New York, visit something on the other side of the country. There are some fantastic sites to see even in your home country – the trick is to go somewhere that you’ve never been before.
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Photo provided by the author.
ALL great place that in 2019! Thanks for your sharing!