This summer, road trips surge amid a worldwide pandemic. Studies have shown that taking vacations is good for one’s mental health. According to CNBC, this year, 46 million Americans say they plan to hit the open road in a recreational vehicle (RV), up from 25 million in 2019, as coronavirus lockdowns force travel lovers to look closer to home for their summer getaway.
Family & Children’s Services psychiatrist Dr. Stevan Lahr spoke to KOTV News on 6 recently about the relationship between vacations and mental health – and how to work around canceled trips due to the pandemic. He cites a 40-year study published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging as an example that vacations can be a good way to relieve stress.
Conducted by the European Society of Cardiology, a Finnish study of middle-aged male executives finds that taking vacations could prolong life.
Although the CDC recommends staying at home instead of traveling, anyone who must travel during the COVID-19 pandemic should find out if there are restrictions on movement, such as stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders, mandated self-quarantines upon arrival, or border closures in place along the route and at the destination.
