How thinking bigger can make your daily stress feel smaller.
You don’t have to board a plane tomorrow to start feeling the healing power of travel.
In fact, just planning a future adventure — even if it’s 6 months or 6 years away — can lift your mood, lower stress, and restore a sense of purpose. Psychologists call it anticipatory joy — the emotional high we get from looking forward to something meaningful.
Why Your Brain Needs a Bucket List
When you’re caught in the rinse-repeat cycle of burnout, it’s easy to feel like life is all deadlines and duty. Big goals and dreams start to shrink.
That’s where your bucket list comes in. It expands your mental horizon, shifts your focus from “what’s wrong” to “what’s possible,” and reactivates your prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain responsible for hope, motivation, and long-term planning.
Planning = Instant Relief
Research shows that even visualizing your next trip can boost dopamine levels, the feel-good chemical tied to motivation and joy.
One study found that people felt significantly happier just from planning a vacation, with effects lasting up to 8 weeks before the trip even began.
Your 15-Minute Bucket List Ritual
Here’s a simple way to build your dream trip list and activate that sense of purpose again:
- Open a journal or notes app
Title it: “Places That Call Me.” - Answer these 3 questions:
- What destination have I dreamed of since childhood?
- What kind of environment makes me feel most alive — ocean, mountains, cities, sacred sites?
- If time and money weren’t factors, where would I go next?
- Pick 1 and Google:
- Best time of year to visit
- Unique things to do
- Boutique hotels or wellness stays
- Save 3 photos of that place to your phone. Set one as your wallpaper. Let your nervous system start to associate your future with beauty.