TikTok star Maddy MacRae’s travel experiment reveals the scientific benefits of vacation

Memories of a lifetime, amazing views and new friends — the benefits of a vacation are known to all.

But a cutting-edge new study suggests there may be scientific benefits to travel that activate our brains as we get away from our stressful, mundane lives.

Travel juggernaut Contiki sent a handful of willing travelers around the world, strapping their heads to a Myndband EEG device to capture their brainwaves while photographing their surroundings as neural activity peaked.

The experiment focused on five key parameters of happiness, engagement, relaxation, creativity and learning.

Australian TikTok star Maddy MacRae — who boasts 1.8 million followers on the platform — packed her bags in the name of science, and was pleasantly surprised to learn about her results after island-hopping through Greece.

Remarkably, she was not advised of what exactly was being measured or studied.

The content creator was found to be 43% more engaged with her surroundings while away from her regular life in Sydney.

“When you experience a new culture, you’re definitely more aware of what’s going on around you and you absorb a lot more than you do every day,” the 31-year-old said.

“Being on vacation in this wonderful, amazing setting, with the scenery and the new people you’re learning about — because obviously you want to interact with the people you’re with — it makes sense to be so involved.”

The study found that walking gave the participants the most daily moments of joy, accounting for 29 percent of all peaks in brain activity. Experiences such as cooking classes, cycling and animal safari tours followed.

While solo travel might provide the opportunity for self-exploration, brain waves reached higher peaks and lower stress levels when individuals experienced stimuli in a group setting.

MacRae recalled an unplanned shared experience as the highlight of her trip, and it became a theme among her results.

“Tour guide Contiki asked us if we wanted to watch the sunset together and we all sat along this random wall and watched the sunset. And it was just my favorite thing,” she said.

“I had a peak of emotions as I looked at the amazing sights.”

In terms of happiness, each individual studied experienced an average of 10 moments of “euphoria” per day – the equivalent of petting an adorable puppy or hugging a loved one.

Experiencing an average of 18 daily moments of “zen” or deep relaxation, the fast-paced itineraries still offer opportunities to recharge.

One participant achieved 48 Zen moments in a single day – each likened to the meditative state of a monk.

As a content creator, podcaster, and actor, MacRae was surprised to learn how her creativity grew while immersed in a new environment.

“A 17% increase in creativity as someone with a very creative job is wild. Because I’m creative every day,” she said.

When asked what she thought was the optimal length of vacation, the self-confessed “introverted extrovert” said two to three weeks was probably the sweet spot for most, while others might be “months to months.”

Although in terms of travel frequency, she suggested, “it’s always great to have something on the horizon to look forward to.”

Those studied who took longer trips reported both a greater frequency and greater intensity of joyful experiences.

Now, in tune with her body’s reaction to her environment, the personality suggested she may need to alter her future plans to align with the feedback.

“It’s funny because I’m not a beach girl, but it was really, really interesting to see that those (sunset) views were the ones that impacted me the most. So maybe it’s something I’ve learned about myself,” she admitted.

“It taught me a bit more about the emotions I want to feel on a holiday, which is definitely about creativity, engagement and relaxation.”

As someone who has made a career out of creating content for social media, MacRae reflected on travelers who feel compelled to capture anything and everything in public spaces.

“I think I’m here for that and here for people capturing memories, but I also urge them to enjoy the moment as much as they can,” she said.