New Study Suggests Exploring Your Own Town Can Be Good For Your Mental Health



The experiences didn’t need to be large. Instead, the findings simply found that those who traveled around their own neighborhoods rather than sitting at home all day were happier.

"The findings suggest that novelty is important, but experiential diversity is as well," co-author Catherine Hartley told Inverse. Hartley added, those who go out to explore their own neighborhoods one day are also more likely to go out and explore the next. "We find that if I feel better today, I'm likely to move around and have more novel experiences and have more experiential diversity the following day, and vice versa. If I have more novel and diverse experiences today, I'm likely to feel better not only today but the next day."

As for how you can implement this feel-good travel strategy right now, it’s easy. All you need to do is make a list of experiences you’d like to try around your own hometown and give it a go.

Make a list of all the coffee shops you’ve never tried for a caffeine crawl. Try out the community bike path you’ve been meaning to visit, or go on a socially distant friend date in the park. Head out for a photography tour of your neighborhood and photograph the coolest gardens or doors you see. Whatever it is, make it unique and thrilling even if it’s just around the block for a daily dose of happiness.

This Story Originally Appeared On travelandleisure

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