Find your balance — move to another spot!

If you thought the best work-life balance was achieved through rest and recuperation, think again — you can beat the fatigue with travel!

It sounds counterproductive, but it’s true — in order to find true inner peace, one must be on the move. Before you entertain notions of ‘being on the move’ to mean working constantly, let us set you right: in order to achieve the right work-life balance, one must not look to rest but to travel.

There is nothing quite like seeing other places to educate and entertain in equal measure. It has many benefits, both on the physical and spiritual level. The getaway it provides can alleviate your stress, take you out of yourself when you’re blue, and even put you in the path of interesting people and situations. It is also the best leveller — on your journey, every traveller walks the same path, smells the same flowers and sees the same scenery.

So how does travel help you achieve inner peace and balance? Take a cue from:

· The change of location is a mood lifter. You may love your job and your friends, your home may pretty and you may be in prime health. But you have to admit that seeing the same faces every day, going to work daily, eating at your favourite restaurant and buying groceries from the same stores can jade you. There’s no better pick-me-up than a change of location — just pack your bags and head out to new destinations for new experiences.

· You learn about different cultures. Travel broadens the mind as you navigate an unknown city or country amidst people you don’t know. Handling the local currency, seeing prominent landmarks, following local customs and also sampling new food is an educative experience you will never get back home. Seeing how other cultures adapt to their peculiar climate and geography, how they do business, what the locals like to wear and eat and how their transport systems work can give you many insights into life in other places.

· It tests your limits. Travel can become quite challenging at times, forcing you to improvise and think on your feet. You might be on a tour of Maharashtra, and after staying at a 5 star hotel in Mumbai, you might head to remote Nan durbar, where you may have to walk long distances under the blazing sun and eat unfamiliar food with the locals. Or you may lose your baggage at Vietnam airport and realise that nobody speaks English! At such times, you must think on your feet and look for a solution to your problem. When you do, the sense of achievement is indescribable.

· It changes your world view. Staying in the same spot for years, meeting the same people and having the same conversations can make you myopic. Pretty soon, you start to believe that everybody is like you, thinking the same thoughts and leading the same life. Travel shatters these notions in the best way possible — you could meet people who can astound you with their simplicity, or walk into a place of worship that chips away at your cynicism.

· It pampers you. Not all travel is tough — some of it involves lazing by the pool or getting couples massages in your room at a 5 star hotel in Mumbai. Sometimes, you just need to stop and do the simple things — eat, sleep, laugh, repeat — to find your inner balance. When you catch up with yourself, you attain clarity on your life and the things that matter. You even go back to your working life with a better perspective on things.