Traveling is Good for You

As anyone who reads this blog knows by now, my wife and I are frequent travelers.  While we always enjoyed traveling, now that we are retired, we have the time to travel as much as our retirement resources allow us to do.  Recently, we have been traveling a lot.  We just returned from a visit with our daughter and her family in Minnesota.

During our visit, we had a number of wonderful experiences in the Minneapolis area, which we will be writing about.  On the way back  home, we also made stops in New Glarus, Wisconsin and Springfield, Illinois.  

I will be writing about each of these adventures in the very near future. So, stay tuned.  What I wanted to share with you today is the somewhat surprising finding that traveling can be good for you, despite the perceived stresses of flying and driving.  

A study conducted by Expedia in 2013 found that 90% of vacationers experienced less stress after a day or two away from the office or factory.  Many other studies have shown that the failure to take regular vacations can both speed  up the aging process and result in a greater risk of coronary related disease and deaths. "Feeling Stressed? Hit the Road," Minnesota, Money Magazine, October 2014, p. 9.

Now, not everyone can travel or take a vacation as often as we do.  But keep in mind, if you can, give a vacation a try.  It just might save your life.

Stress: Who is Stressed and Who Isn't

In a recent study published in "The Journal of Applied Social Psychology", researchers from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania reported on the results of three national surveys measuring the degree of stress in various groups of individuals.  The surveys, conducted in 1983, 2006 and 2009, showed some surprising results.  In all three surveys, it was found that stress levels were higher in women than men and stress decreased with age. Apparently that is one of the benefits of being older.

Not surprisingly, the surveys also showed that the unemployed showed higher levels of stress than the retired.  The young were particularly hard hit by the economic downturn beginning in 2008 as they found it difficult to find jobs.

One way to relieve stress, whatever your age, sex or employment status is meditation.  So, click on one of the recommended cites listed on this blog.  It could well help.