They travel the world professionally. They travel from one end of the world to the other, while resting in Dubai, the Dominican Republic or… in Norway. Always on the move and it seems that the biggest dream of these active people is a week at home. Meanwhile, it turns out they’re planning new challenges on the way back from the extreme getaway. They travel the world to do business and relax.

– When we rest, our body receives the information that everything is fine, so the activity of the sympathetic system responsible for the state of mobilization and the will to act decreases. As a result, the level of the stress hormone is lowered, which results in better well-being, concentration, emotional control and general mental well-being. We are already increasingly aware that we not only rest physically but also mentally. Holidays give us a great opportunity to plan time for rest, find the optimal way of rest for us and enjoy pleasant moments, says Małgorzata Mizińska, clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, co-founder of the Psychotherapy Center “Przystań Tu” in Warsaw.

– Travel is an indispensable part of big business. Broadening of horizons, respect for a different culture, courtesy towards foreign customs, this encourages us to be open to new experiences. – confirms Stanisław Tomas. – Changing the environment stimulates a new perception of reality. Whether it’s a hot country or a glacier, the most important thing is that my mind is occupied with something else that changes the perspective and allows me to take a fresh look at the projects that I put in square.

– It’s true, my father showed me that I can’t do real business behind my desk. You have to move, meet people, look each other in the eye, listen to stories, trust and let yourself be trusted. As I move through the world, I see habits, mechanisms, and mental differences. When I was little, I learned unconsciously that you can have a different perspective. I saw that everyone had their own standards and that I could move around freely. As I got older, when it’s hard to deviate from the norm you’re raised in, I found I could broaden my horizons, change my standards, or at least influence them.

Whether Mexican emotional expressiveness or an aloof Norwegian analytical approach is a legitimate reaction in any given situation can be my choice. The standard, I believe, will become mine. It’s my choice and that’s what travel teaches me. – Carol adds.

There is a certain regularity that professionally active people, instead of choosing an all-inclusive vacation in Greece or Turkey, prefer to fish in Norway or wander through Buthan.

– Generally, I would call it a search for balance – says Małgorzata Mizińska – Professional work is often about creating something intangible. Create strategies, plans, documents, etc. We live in a mass of information and stimuli. We begin to miss contact with something real, with the real world, with its rules that haven’t changed for centuries. Moreover, nature is order, immutability and constancy. Nothing can be rushed here. You have to adapt to your rhythm. And that’s what we need. The more professionally active we are, the more we need to clear our minds. Such trips are also an opportunity to get to know each other better, to discover little-known skills and to face up to one’s weaknesses.

– Our last trip to Norway differed significantly from generally known holiday standards. Five days on a fishing boat with accommodation in a wooden house, we had to catch our meals ourselves. The work had to be shared, cooked, cleaned. Such a journey of integrity, shows you can count on – Karol tells. -You have to adapt and take care of your own comfort at the same time. Just like in a company, you have to adapt to a specific system in order to be able to function there and bring added value of yourself to the system in which you have decided to evolve.

– For example, I was troubled by sleepless nights. It’s very difficult for me when it’s like noon in Poland at three in the morning. The absence of a night is exhausting. Just like in travel and business, it’s often a good choice to decide the discomfort to experience something new, to find yourself in an exciting new reality.

– This is our fourth trip to Norway – adds Stanislaw – Again, we were in the cold north, where the average summer temperature is around 10 degrees Celsius. The unimaginable experience of being close to nature compensates for all the disadvantages. The north is very specific, it even smells different. Such an extreme experience allows you to live fully “here and now” and how can I share this moment with Karol, what more do you want.

According to Małgorzata Mizińska:

– Away from home, we look for the same things as in books and films: adventures, oversights, springboard, emotions other than everyday life, detachment from reality, distance, new eyes. We erase our daily life for a moment and we take advantage of novelty and otherness. We experience happiness by getting to know ourselves, learning, discovering ourselves and discovering the world.

In new places, it is easier for us to think differently about the challenges we face every day. Such a journey can become a kind of alternate reality in which we feel like someone else, in which fewer things – conventions, expectations, rules and obligations limit us. This can have very positive effects.

In Norway, Karol is impressed by the level of social trust:

– The fact that we go to sea with our friends, where we are left to our own devices is one thing, and the fact that I enter a shop without maintenance, do some shopping and no one throws a blow at me if I don’t have a piece of cheese in my pocket, is the other thing – he says. For me, this level of personal responsibility is a huge determinant of civilization. Self-responsibility goes hand in hand with trust in others, which unfortunately is very limited in Poland. As a nation, we are one of the most suspicious nations in Europe. When I see that maybe it’s different and I can transfer it to my business, I just take action and it’s my small contribution to change our mentality.

– Although the way of spending the holidays is not a diagnostic criterion for the therapist, it says a lot about the attitude of a given person towards himself. Using the language of psychology, how we spend our holidays can be a sign of our relationship with ourselves as well as our relationship with others. Many factors determine our resting styles, but the most important seems to be whether we perceive the need for rest and whether we give ourselves the right to rest. There are people who ignore the fact that they are tired. Their physical and mental condition is not important to them, they blame themselves when they rest or are afraid of being judged by others. There are also people who consciously take care of themselves, plan their vacations according to their needs and preferences, and they usually come back refreshed – commented Małgorzata Mizińska.

– From my point of view, holidays contribute to efficiency in everyday life and in business, and I call it briefly – self-awareness – Karol Tomas concludes.