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If you’re looking forward to an overseas holiday but are looking for an extra reason to justify the expense, we may just have found what you need. It turns out that overseas travel can make you better at your job and there are several reasons why this is true. So, whether you are a lawyer or a bricklayer, feel free to pack those bags and enjoy your adventures abroad – here’s why.

1. Reduce Stress for Clearer Thinking

Getting away from it all helps you to relax, but it’s not just your leisure time that benefits. Letting off some steam helps you to get rid of stress that’s clouding your thinking and return feeling mentally refreshed and re-energized. No matter how conscientious you are, you’ll do better after a good holiday and a complete change of scenery.

2. Keep an Open Mind

No matter how carefully you research a country you’ve never visited, there’ll be something to surprise you during your stay. Seeing things done in ways that differ from those you ordinarily encounter helps you to appreciate that there are many ways to approach even the simplest of tasks. In the process you learn new perspectives too.

3. Get Fresh Inspiration

After a relaxing holiday, it’s surprising how quickly you can come up with solutions for workplace niggles that have been bothering you for ages. If you’re in the wrong profession, you’re more likely to realize it and make the change. If you’re in the right one, getting back to work re-energized means that you could come up with some great inspirations that eluded you earlier.

4. Think on Your Feet

A good holiday is refreshing, but traveling abroad means that you learn to think on your feet in unfamiliar situations. Things like getting lost, finding your way using public transport networks, asking for directions and running into occasional language difficulties sharpen up your problem-solving skills. The more you do it, the better you get at it, and those skills come home with you and could come in handy in the workplace.

5. Sharpen up Your Listening Skills

In many professions, you’re used to being the expert and the one people listen to. A few simple questions, and you know exactly what to do and can basically run on auto. When you’re in a different region or in another country, you’re the one who has to listen, and the ways in which things are communicated to you can range from the “different” to the almost-unintelligible. You need to listen carefully and patiently and check how well you understand what was said. Needless to say, it’s a great lesson that can improve your overall listening skills and sensitivity to small nuances in tone of voice and body language.

Make it an Experience

You can skip most of these (rather fun) lessons if you’re always stuck in a tour group or simply flit from one tourist attraction to another. But who’d want to do that? You can have way more fun and be safe at the same time. Find an opportunity to mix with locals, try the local cuisine at places where working-class people pick up a lunch and really explore. You’ll have a great time, some fun dinner table stories to take home, and a chance to sharpen skills that will benefit both your professional and personal life.