Self-Care Perks of Going Out of Town
Your alarm goes off at 5:30 a.m. and you roll over to slide your index finger across the screen of your smartphone. Yep, it is actually 5:30 a.m. Where did the time go and is it already time to go back to work? You slowly get out of bed and make your way towards the bathroom to brush your teeth and splash cold water on your face, in the hopes of waking up. You finally make it to your car to drive to work. Once out of traffic after almost an hour, you arrive at your office only with this saying in your head: another day, another dollar. You think to yourself when is my next vacation or when can I finally afford the opportunity to get out of your normal 9–5 life and experience something new.
I am one of those people who does not take vacations often, nor do I actively make attempts to take days off to refresh my mind by going somewhere else. I am always at work, or at home writing, but never really focusing on taking care of myself, mentally or emotionally. The few times I have been able to go out of town to a new city or state it works wonders on my mental, emotional, and physical health. There are a lot of benefits of leaving the one area or city where you live and have become comfortable, but here a few listed below:
New Experiences
Going out of town to a city, state, or country you may have always wanted to go to allows you to create new memories and experiences with different people. It causes you to get outside of your comfort zone because you are now in a fresh space, surrounded by new people with opinions and perceptions that are different from yours. This experience allows for you to create new memories with people you may have never met or with people who you love and care about. Just because you may be outside of your comfort zone, which can be a little scary and shocking, don’t let it stop you from having a good time. Something wonderful may come out of the experience, like a new friendship.
Check It Off of Your Bucket List
I have a bucket list of all of the cities, states, monuments, and countries that I want to go to (it is continuously getting longer). When I have gone to these places or have seen these monuments, I check it off of my list. Each checkmark I see on my list is another accomplishment for me. It makes me feel good about myself. Look at going out of town as an accomplishment and a treat. I know, I know, going out of town is not always financially possible because well life and bills, I get it. But because this is something you are not able to do often, when you are able to, treat it as an accomplishment or a reward. It will make you proud of yourself as you have rewarded yourself for all of your hard work so now you are able to go someplace new.
Mental, Emotional, and Physical Refreshment
Going out of town allows for you to recharge and refresh your mind. Doing the same mundane work or routine, day in and day out can take a toll on you mentally and physically. You may start to burn out if you work too much. Going out of town will allow for you to disconnect and focus on the present around you. For example, if you’re at the beach you can focus on the how your feet feel in the sand. You can watch the sunset go down or feel the water rush against your calves. Memories and experiences such as these will allow for you to relax, take in the moment and once done you can go back to your normal routine refreshed and ready to go.
These are a just a few perks from going out of town, but going out of town is one of the few ways you can care for yourself by experiencing something new. Of course one of the biggest perks is a new perspective and a refreshed and calming feeling. If you have the chance, I definitely urge you to step away from the comfort of your normal routine or environment and go somewhere new.
What are some places you like to go when you need to get out of town for a while? Let us know in the comments below!
