Impact of travel and recreational activities on stress, happiness, and life satisfaction among university students

Continuous effort in regular activities depletes resources, leading to fatigue and negative impacts on well-being. In contrast, travel and recreational activities can promote and sustain well-being by providing adequate recovery from these stressors. In the study, thirty-five graduate students participated, selected through purposive sampling. A pre-test-post-test design with a control group was used for the study. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of participation in travel and recreational activities in reducing stress and enhancing happiness and life satisfaction among university students. The results revealed that stress levels significantly decreased for participants engaging in travel and recreational activity, while happiness and life satisfaction increased. In addition, significant differences were found in post-test scores of outcome variables between groups, even after controlling for pretest scores. The findings suggest that sufficient recovery from the demand of adulthood through travel and leisure activities contributes to well-being. These benefits could enhance student welfare and support the growth of other institutions by promoting healthier adults.