Planning to take a break from the daily grind? Take an amazing trip to Thailand, which offers plenty of ways to lower your stress and stay healthy:
1. Volunteer or Take a Fun Part-Time Job
Doing good is healthy, according to a 2020 study in Elsevier. In the research, adults around 50 years old and above had a reduced risk of mortality and immobility when they volunteered for 100 hours a year or about 2 hours per week.
It won’t be surprising, though, since altruism helps reduce stress levels. It could already help take care of your heart, cholesterol, and blood pressure. It also makes you happy, decreasing the odds of anxiety and depression.
Fortunately, in Thailand, you’ll never run out of volunteering work. Even better, you can participate in a paid gap-year work program. You can be a teaching assistant in an English school and receive plenty of benefits, such as food allowance and some compensation. You can use that to fund other activities on the list!
2. Get Yourself a Thai Massage
Any foreigner who’s ever shared their Thai massage experience will tell you that it’s not gentle. It won’t rock you to sleep but instead feel different variations of pain for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
The good news is this pain comes with excellent health rewards. Thai massage techniques, which include pulling and kneading with elbows or knuckles, promote deep-tissue penetration. It can increase blood flow to the muscles more quickly, and that facilitates faster healing or recovery.
Thai massage is especially helpful for those dealing with low back pain. In Thai research, this massage worked just as well, if not even better for others, as hot packs and manual stretching.
3. Join Yoga and Meditation
All over Thailand are several retreat houses, accommodation options, and resorts that offer yoga classes and meditation. These activities are ideal if you’re dealing with different physical and mental health issues.
Yoga is a low-impact workout, which means it’s easy on the knees and other joints. This makes it perfect for individuals dealing with obesity or body injuries. It is also a perfect complement to meditation, which can be so potent it can change the structure of the brain in only eight weeks.
Many yoga and meditation programs are both varied and flexible. Some are good for only a few hours, so you can have enough time to pursue other activities, including paid or volunteer work. You also have the option to be a student or a teacher, earning training hours.
4. Learn How to Eat Healthily
Like other cuisines, that of Thai can have unhealthy choices. Think of deep-fried rolls saturated in fat. However, most traditional dishes are great for the body. They usually focus on lean meats and lots of vegetables, especially greens and beans.
The Thais also enjoy adding spices and herbs to boost the flavors of their food. These include curry, which, many studies show, could improve the body’s immunity.
The beautiful country of Thailand offers more than beaches, history, and tuk-tuks. It packs plenty of activities that can improve your physical and mental health.
