1. The activity that can bring you more happiness than your wedding day, finds study
Marriage is considered one of the major milestones in a person’s life and no wonder we have innumerable movies and romantic novels glorifying the married life of people. In fact, ‘happily married’ is a notion that is deeply embedded in our psyche since childhood. Besides certain exceptions, marriage definitely brings a lot of happiness in a person’s life—the comfort of companionship, the joy of sharing a lifetime of togetherness and what not. Perhaps there are very few events or phases in a person’s life than can surpass the importance of marriage. Interestingly, a survey conducted by an international travel fare aggregator website and search engine for lodging reservations found that there is one activity that can bring a person more happiness than the day of their wedding.
2. Travelling made people happier than their wedding day
According to the study conducted by booking.com, travelling is the secret to true happiness. To arrive at this interesting conclusion, a team of researchers from the lodging reservations search engine questioned 17,000 people from 17 countries in order to get an all-inclusive opinion of people’s idea of happiness. Interestingly, 49 per cent of the participants said that they felt happier on vacation than they felt on their wedding day.
3. Travelling is more emotionally uplifting than going on a date
Also, half of the participants who took part in the survey claimed that they found travelling more emotionally uplifting than going on a date and 45 per cent stated that the emotional boost they received while travelling was even greater than what they felt on being engaged to a lover. Some (almost 29 per cent respondent) claimed travelling made them happier than becoming a parent.
4. Travel mattered more than material things
When the respondents were asked to rank the activities that made them happy as compared to travelling, 70 per cent of the participants said that travelling to a new location, be it an exotic place or a remote retreat, brought them more happiness than buying material things. In short, they valued new experiences more than the things they accumulated in their life.
5. 56 per cent would forsake new clothes, gadgets to go on a vacation
We all know how most people are inclined towards buying the latest gadgets or wearing new clothes. But it seems 56 per cent of the respondents of this survey were ready to sacrifice their comfort and resist the temptation to buy the latest clothes and gadgets if given a chance to travel. In fact, 48 per cent of the participants stated they would not mind postponing home improvement plans to go on a vacation.
6. All thanks to endorphins and oxytocin
According to scientists, hormones endorphins and oxytocin, are responsible for our moods. While exercising and rigorous activities prompt the secretion of these two hormones, research has also proved that travelling, which involves experiencing new things and constant physical movements, is responsible for the release of endorphins and oxytocin in myriad ways. No wonder, travel can make people happy!