Why you need an attitude of mindfulness for travel

A 33-year-old tells me during a therapy session: “My husband and I have been fighting a lot. Over the last few weeks, the impact of revenge tourism—in the context of the dissatisfaction people are feeling about their own lives, the fear of missing out on international or domestic travel opportunities, and comparisons due to social media—have begun to emerge as a theme across sessions. This is something I would notice during the summer or festive months even before the pandemic—that certain sadness or restlessness as people passively watched the travel pictures of others. That’s why an attitude of mindfulness rather than social comparison would entail making choices about the travel destination or the nature of experiences one is seeking based on the needs/values one associates with it. After two difficult years, travel offers a chance at time away from screens, micro-interactions with locals, contributing to local communities—and a chance to understand how we have, or haven’t, changed.