Escape the norm

Picture yourself booking tickets, packing bags and taking off to an unexplored place. That then seems to be the best way to beat the stress that comes with modern life. While desktop jobs and crazy deadlines are affecting young professionals in an unhealthy way, they are discovering that travel could be the way forward.

Opening up to a stranger is always easier than talking to people who are a part of your daily schedule, points out Akshatha KS, a financial analyst. “When you want to step away from it all and can’t find the right space to de-stress, a short trekking expedition or a weekend trip can rejuvenates one. You are exposed to different cultures and you meet new people who you might not see again. This helps one in unbottling emotions and opening up,” she elaborates.

From Gandikota to Kudremukh, Neha Kulkarni, an analyst, loves trekking and exploring new places, as often as she can. “I often travel in groups as it has its own added benefits. When one is bogged down by a stressful schedule, the group can always cheer you up. This is the best formula,” she says.

Be it a day trip or a well-planned month-long vacation, travel opens one to different experiences which are unconnected to one’s reality, she adds. “When I’m back from a trip, I am a much happier me and I feel I can handle anything.” ‘Nature heals like nothing else’ believes Sarathy PB, a user experience expert with a software company, who makes it a point to travel often.

“When you head to the mountains, you see wildlife and butterflies you’ve never seen before thus getting closer to nature. This change heals and refreshes the mind,” he says. Sarathy loves driving and he says that when passion meets nature, it can turn out to be a very educative experience. “Quality time with nature can be the best healer. When fresh air hits you, it is bound to make you more energetic,” he adds.

Tasneem Nakhoda, a psychotherapist and lifeskillstrainerwho addresses stress-related cases, says that while travel is a good short break helping one to step away from certain situations, it might not be a permanent solution.

“Of the cases I see, around 75 percent are connected to stress. Moving away from what is familiar opens the mind to many other things. This temporary distraction helps in handling stress when you’re back in the same space for a short time,” she says. Life coach and counsellor Akshara K believes that travel helps one to move away from the comfort zone.

“Adventure holidays like trekking or mountaineering can illustrate the extent of pressure one can handle. Travel can put you in unexpected situations like plans failing due to weather changes. This leads one to take quick decisions,” she explains. These situations often make one realise that the pressure in a closed environment like on a desktop job is not as threatening as it might seem to be.

“Travel helps one develop resilience and enhances one’s problem solving skills, which work for the better once you are back to real life,” she adds. So, go ahead, pack your bags and break the routine!