4 reasons why planning a trip is good for your mental health

If you tend to be a more spontaneous traveller rather than a meticulous planner, you may be interested in finding out that being the latter is significantly better for your overall mental health.

How exactly?

From giving you peace of mind to helping you save money, to the power of delayed gratification, keep reading to discover four reasons why planning a trip is good for your mental health.

1. Planning keeps your mind active

With most of the country, and, the globe, having been confined to their homes for much of the last 12 months, what is a better time to start planning your next vacation? Even if you can’t go yet, the simple act of looking at images of beautiful beaches and stunning hotels will boost your spirits and make you feel more positive about the future.

Furthermore, planning a trip will give you something new to talk about with the family and friends – other than the latest Netflix boxset to binge!

Photo: Q.U.I.

Photo: STIL

You can enjoy all the benefits of planning a holiday, including the excitement, the anticipation, and the feeling of adventure, without all the hard work

2. Planning gives you peace of mind

Although a little bit of spontaneity on vacation is a good thing, a laisser-faire attitude to trip planning can result in you missing out on some of the best sightseeing opportunities and day trips.

Don’t worry if you feel overwhelmed by this process; you can always enlist the help of itinerary planners to ensure your trip runs as smoothly and stress-free as possible. High-quality custom trip planning services will be tailored to your exact vacation requirements, resulting in a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Basically, you can enjoy all the benefits of planning a holiday, including the excitement, the anticipation, and the feeling of adventure, without all the hard work.

Badlands National Park | Photo: Matan Levanon

3. Planning saves you money

There is a very good reason why people spend hours trawling the net before booking a trip, and that is so that they can find the best deals. Planning your trip in advance will not only save you money on small elements of your vacation, such as day trips and eating out but also costly outgoings such as flights, accommodation, and car rental.

This, in turn, will make your trip less stressful as you will not have to worry about blowing all your budget in the first few days, as everything will already be booked and paid for.

Photo: Dominik Jirovsky

When it comes to travel, delayed gratification is more pleasurable than immediate consumption

4. Planning provides delayed gratification

Although today’s culture is very much centred around people getting what they want when they want, this is not the best attitude to have for good mental health. In fact, studies have shown that when it comes to travel, delayed gratification is more pleasurable than immediate consumption.

It’s simple when you think about it. If you have a trip or vacation to look forward to, even if it is six months away, you are going to feel happier for longer than someone who has booked a trip last minute and has only had a few days for the anticipation to build.

Whether you are currently struggling with your mental health and desperately need something to look forward to or you simply love arranging your next vacation, here at Mr Hudson we can help you to plan the trip of your dreams.

Laguna Beach | Photo: NaraJiva

Stuck with planning?

Want to plan a dream getaway but don’t know where to start? Get in touch with our team of trip design experts here at Mr Hudson. We’ll carefully craft your ideal travel itinerary, taking all your specific travel needs, budget and style into account. As well as a full daily itinerary we’ll also provide up-to-date information on top hotels, lesser-known attractions and all the best nightlife, just for you! Sign up to Trip Design today.