Date of publication 12/03/2018
Life coaching Eight Ways Traveling Can Transform Your Life
Life coaching tips to enhance your travel experience
As a travel lifestyle coach and a passionate traveler, I love to support, motivate and coach people in different ways to encourage them to travel more and to fully explore everything that traveling can do for us. Going on holidays, seeing amazing places, meeting new people and having amazing experiences are all benefits of travel, but it can also have major transformational effects on our lives and our relationships. Most times these changes happen very subtly or even subconsciously because we are so busy enjoying ourselves and being happy that we don't even notice the major shifts in mindset and soul that are happening inside of us. These changes can start to improve our lives and shape who we are going to become and can encourage us to impact other people’s lives positively as well.
With hotels all over the world in exciting locations such as Barcelona, Havana, Cancún or Marrakesh, Iberostar’s hotels and resorts offer you comfort, wellbeing and luxury, making them a perfect choice to begin transforming your life through travel, no matter where you are traveling. Whether you prefer to heal your body and mind through sports, lounging by the pool or having a spa day, Iberostar has got you covered.
Here are a few ways that travel can transform your life and your well-being:
HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Good health is something we can never be too grateful for. Having a healthy body and mind is crucial for overall happiness and productivity. People who go on holiday twice a year or more are at a significantly lower risk of heart disease than those who only travel every several years, according to a study by the Global Commission on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, in partnership with the U.S. Travel Association. Traveling has also been shown to improve mental health in general, boosting creativity, lowering stress levels and contributing to all round happiness and relationships. Keeping active while on holiday is an even better way to stay healthy and Iberostar makes it easy with its Fit & Fun program. With a variety of indoor and outdoor activities such as kickboxing, Zumba, Aquafit and Pilates, there is truly something for everyone.
IMPROVED WORK/LIFE BALANCE
Traveling allows us to reconnect strained relationships by taking time away with each other, exploring, having new experiences, meeting new people and having fun. This is exactly what you need to bring you closer to the people you love and improve your life entirely. You get into the routine of working effectively during the week because you know on the weekends you have something to look forward to. You can be assured that your work will benefit from your travels because you get to switch off and recover, then go back to being more focused, sharper and more productive. To that end, Iberostar’s Star Meeting business hotels allow you to work in state-of-the-art facilities during the day while unwinding in comfort in the evenings, whether by the pool, on the terrace or in the garden.
RELAXATION AND HAPPINESS
Traveling encourages relaxation, which in turn makes you more comfortable and confident, more adventurous, and eager to learn and experience new things for yourself as well as with your traveling companion. You can spend time having long conversations and getting to know your companion as well as new people. Travel allows you to take time out just for self-care, which is crucial to overall well-being and happiness and will refresh your mind, body, and soul. Travel has the potential to make us truly happy. With Iberostar’s all-inclusive Star Prestige packages, you can sit back and relax while your needs are met in the most luxurious way with superior rooms and exclusive services. Stepping away from the routine and schedules of life allows us to experience an intense sense of freedom that leads to true happiness. Doing something different and truly exploring brings about a feeling of curiosity and wanting more. This produces endorphins that make us happy, relaxed and at ease with ourselves and the world around us.
ENLIGHTENMENT AND CULTURAL SENSITIVITY
Traveling is a tool to overall enlightenment in life. We all know reading a book increases knowledge and wisdom but going a step further and experiencing these amazing things we read about in books firsthand is vital. We are living in a truly globalized society, where social media, trade, and telecommunications are connecting us to every country in the world. Through travel, we can communicate and socialize with greater understanding and respect for others and learn more about different cultures and way of life.
I’ve found it so enriching to learn about the Buddhist culture in India, the Mediterranean life in Cyprus, British mannerisms in the UK and so much more. My travels have subsequently allowed me to communicate easily with people from these countries, because my first-hand experience in these countries has allowed me to reach a greater understanding of their culture. This can be fundamental in decreasing a lot of misunderstandings that can sometimes occur during intercultural communications. This is one of my favorite aspects of traveling. The list of countries I’d like to visit is ever-growing but I particularly look forward to exploring Morocco, Brazil and Mexico.
SELF-DISCOVERY
We discover so much about ourselves when we travel—we find confidence, we grow to love ourselves unconditionally and most of all, we find out who we really are. When we are in a different country, removed from our own environment— especially during solo travel—we have nowhere to hide, so we can only be our true selves. Traveling as a couple is even more intense, because we can't pretend to be who we are not. A trip abroad can allow you to discover your own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of your partner. Experiencing challenges together also allows you to see another side of your partner and of yourself. For instance, I know I can be very confident when I need to be but I can also be afraid of things that may seem strange to others. Why not treat yourself by staying at one of Iberostar’s adult-only hotels? Whether you choose to take a couple’s massage, go horseback riding or take a cocktail master class, traveling with your partner makes you realize how your personalities complement each other and how fortunate you are to have that person in your life. That's what traveling does: it brings real life to the surface, with no fairy tales or illusions.
OVERCOMING FEARS
Are you overcome by excessive fears that are holding you back from making changes that can improve your life and relationships? Then traveling is just the thing for you, as it provides multiple opportunities to step out of your comfort zone and experience things you never thought possible. Travel challenges you to either step out or step back in, but it is most likely that you will push yourself to enjoy new things because you will be having so much fun you won't even realize that's what you're doing.
One way to challenge yourself to explore the world in different ways is cycle tourism. With Iberostar, you can discover the beauty of the Majorcan landscape with their bike rental service and enjoy one of their guided tours. You don’t even have to worry about apparel and accessories: you can rent it all there!
The amazing people with wildly interesting stories with different lifestyles and from different cultures you will meet along the way will inspire you to overcome some of the fears you are experiencing in other aspects of your life.
INNER HEALING
Life throws us curve balls. We all experience ups and downs and our path is never straight: we just have to accept it, deal with it and move on. Traveling makes this process so much easier because we get so much out of this one activity: we experience new things, meet new people, see amazing sights and without us knowing it, we move forward. Our opinions may change and our outlook on life can shift as well. Travel is an amazing tool to use to heal after hardship; to get out of our own mind and our own world. When we see things we never knew existed we become grateful for our own lives and can come to see things in a more positive light. Going to a spa is a fantastic way of connecting with your mind while treating your body. Let yourself be pampered by Iberostar’s Spa Sensations therapists with a massage, a scrub or a wrap. The best part? You don’t even have to leave your hotel.
INSPIRATION AND SELF-IMPROVEMENT
Traveling has changed my life. At one point, the passion, joy and overwhelmingly intense feelings I experienced through traveling made me want to experience these feelings every single day without actually traveling. It came to a point where I became unhappy in my full-time job. I couldn't wait for Friday to arrive and I dreaded Sundays, because they reminded me that I had to go to work the next day. It wasn't because my job was horrible—in fact, I was very fortunate, as it was the least stressful job possible—but because I realized that it wouldn’t allow me to travel as much as I wanted, which was every month if possible.
I wanted it all, and just like I did during my travels, I began to explore, seeking amazing adventures and experiences. I wanted the same in my day-to-day life. I soon started digging deeper in search of more meaningful work; work that would make my heart sing every day and make me happy. And that's exactly what I did. I created a lifestyle and business for myself that I love to wake up to every day and which brings me the same feelings of joy, happiness and balance I relish when traveling. With Iberostar’s new app, traveling until my heart’s content is now easier than ever, as I can plan my holiday, book activities and dinner reservations and talk to the concierge with only a few taps on my smartphone.
ZANNY BYRON-DAVIS @zanurtravel I 06/03/2018
Photography by Cordon Press and Getty Images
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