In my Benefits of Travelling and Signs You Need a Vacation posts, I briefly outline the physical and mental benefits of travel. In this post, I’m specifically exploring how travel builds resilience.
WHAT IS RESILIENCE?
As defined in the Oxford dictionary, resilience is the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
The American Psychological Association defines resilience as the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioural flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.
While some people are innately resilient, studies increasingly show that resilience is not a fixed personality trait but a skill that can be developed. I believe travel can develop this skill.
HOW TRAVEL BUILDS RESILIENCE
In the field of positive psychology, there are many theories on how to build resilience. Having strong, healthy interpersonal relationships, looking after your physical and mental health, and practising self-compassion are cornerstones of building resilience.
But it is Dr Kenneth Ginsburg’s 7Cs model of building resilience is the theory that fits my experience of building resilience through travel.
Dr. Ginsburg’s 7Cs are Character, Competence, Confidence, Connection, Contribution, Control and Coping. Below I will outline how all can be developed through travel to some degree.
CHARACTER
If something is seen as a challenge, then it is said to be character-building. The Cambridge Dictionary defines character-building as the process of becoming emotionally stronger, more independent, and better at dealing with problems. And travel does exactly that.
Character also refers to a person’s moral values. Traits such as integrity, respect, accountability, fairness, and generally having a sense of right and wrong are usually developed from interpersonal factors such as family and peers. However, developing an explorer’s mindset through travel can also engender these traits.
COMPETENCE
This is the main component of resilience that is developed through travel. The act of getting from A to B safely and efficiently requires organisational skills.
Problem-solving skills and decision-making skills are also a by-product of travel, particularly should an unforeseen circumstance (e.g. mechanical failure, inclement weather) interrupt your journey.
Travelling with family, friends and other groups builds upon teamwork and compromise skills.
Travel requires setting goals and developing strategies to achieve those goals. These skills, along with the growth mindset that travel fosters, can be utilised in other parts of life.
CONFIDENCE
As much as travel can help you wind down and recuperate, challenges are equally a part of travel. Overcoming challenges instills a sense of achievement and self-belief, and thus builds confidence.
Learning from challenges that cannot be overcome equally builds confidence. With this confidence and knowledge, the chance of being overwhelmed when a further similar challenge arises is significantly reduced.
CONNECTION
Travel is the great connector; the ultimate way of connecting with people and cultures around the world.
According to Mark Twain, Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Not only is it my favourite travel quote but, in our current fractured world, connecting with others through travel is needed more than ever. US author Robert D. Putnam writes that social connectedness is one of the most powerful determinants of our well-being.
The kindness of strangers is an overlooked aspect of travel. To be on the receiving end of such generosity and assistance is a truly humbling experience that engenders a more optimistic outlook, an outlook that is paramount to developing resilience.
On a personal level, travel allows you to find your niche and your tribe. The relief from finding like-minded people strengthens identity and enables a sense of belonging. Even if your tribe is a thousand miles away, the reassurance that you are not alone in your preferences and passions strengthens your own self-belief through that social connection.
Travelling in a group with family or friends is excellent for discovering the extent of the relationship you have with those in the group. Travel can strengthen bonds, thus enhancing the social connections that are paramount in building resilience. But travel can also show the vulnerabilities and limitations in relationships, and accepting this can be challenging.
CONTRIBUTION
The contribution component of resilience is closely aligned with connection. People gain a greater sense of purpose and meaning when they both contribute to the world around them and see the impact of that contribution. Studies show that a sense of purpose is associated with greater emotional well-being and resilience.
Tourism is important in an economic and social context. The economic contribution of your travels may be obvious.
But open your eyes to the positive social impact of your travels. Given the precarious state of the modern world, simply by understanding and accepting others on your travels is a positive contribution to the world around you. Listening to people’s stories and experiences can engender a sense of purpose to break down cultural barriers. Returning the kindness of strangers or paying it forward is priceless in terms of contributing to the wider world.
CONTROL
While travel requires a certain degree of planning, the act of travel forces you to live in the present. Paying attention to the here and now is a form of mindfulness that cultivates mental well-being such as self-awareness and self-discipline. From this, you get to know your strengths and weaknesses.
Like the fictional Shirley Valentine character, travel gives you the space and opportunity to re-invent yourself.
The ability to accept and embrace change is crucial for building resilience. Travel is unpredictable and change can be forced upon you when on the road. While you may not have control over the circumstance that changes (e.g. cancelled flight), you can control your response to that change and focus on the circumstances you have control over.
COPING
Travel is one big positive adaptive coping strategy, enabling you to disconnect from daily stresses. Being on holiday is an overall positive experience that puts you in a positive frame of mind. A positive mindset engenders resilience.
Travel heightens self-awareness and you become familiar with your strengths and weaknesses. You also become good at assessing situations and seeing if certain tasks are within, just outside or far beyond your comfort zone.
Travel can teach you how to adapt and work with nature, which is something that is part of coping with challenging seasons.
Some challenges on the road can be a practice run for events in your everyday 9 to 5 life.
Overcoming a challenge can also instil gratitude, but this applies as much off the road as on it.
Finally, coping with the consequences of your choices is part of being human. Travel can amplify the consequences of your choices. For example, choosing to stay out late partying which results in a missed flight the following morning is a choice with expensive consequences that will draw on your coping skills.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Resilience is the capacity to recover from difficulties, the ability to bounce back. The Finns call it Sisu. When travelling you have no choice but to adapt and plough on.
Resilience can wax and wane as it depends on your physical and mental condition at any given time, the challenging situation you find yourself in, the support available, and your prior experience of dealing with a similar challenging situation.
Travel won’t fix everything in your life or build resilience to the point that you are mentally impenetrable. Life is a continuous process of reflection and development, and the skills you learn while travelling are ways of building resilience.
Arrivals Hall 