A recent poll on RVtravel.com asked RVers to describe their mental health and happiness. A whopping 75% said they are almost always happy or feeling good. Wow! That’s a lot of happy RVers! When looking at the core experiences of RVing, it is easy to see why there would be so many happy people, me included. Just when I was getting a bit demoralized about the whole RVing thing, this poll had me dumping my grumpy self to look at the reasons and analyze why I answered so positively.
Getting out in nature
I am almost giddy when we start traveling toward a state park, national park, or COE campground. Whether surrounded by tall pines or desert cacti, or overlooking the ocean waves, there is a sense of peace away from the hectic pace of daily life. One of the reasons Finland is rated as the happiest nation in the world is the emphasis on sharing natural spaces with all the population. You can read about Finland and the Happiness Masterclass here.
Even when stuck side-by-side in an overcrowded RV park, there are almost always opportunities to experience nature somewhere close. A lot of times we are parked very close to, but not in, a national park with an abundance of nature to enjoy.
Health and fitness in an active lifestyle
I am hardly a fitness fanatic. I wish turning the pages of a good book while lounging on the couch counted as exercise. But given a trail, a water bottle, and a map, I will venture out of the RV. And we really enjoy it! We walk more, hike more, bike more, and are outside being physical much more when camping. I know any exercise we get aids in cardiovascular health, decreases back and joint pain, and improves mental health. Even small amounts of exercise impact emotional and cognitive health.
Some people assume that we eat much healthier away from fast food and restaurants, but I am not sure how multiple s’mores fit into healthy eating!
Reduced stress
One of the things I learned early in our weekend trips was that being away from our sticks-and-bricks house was the glorious inability to do any housework. No laundry, no painting, cleaning or repairs! They could wait—they had to wait.
We go camping to relax. When spending time lounging in a camp chair around a campfire or walking the campground, it is hard to worry too much when out in nature. It really is quality time with family. Our kids grew up camping with us and still talk about some of the best times of their young lives.
Socialization and camaraderie
There are so many ways to meet people in an RV park—from just saying “Hi!”, to talking to others about their rigs, travels, dogs, and kids. It is hard to find an unfriendly person in an RV park. Almost everyone will at least wave. Others are glad to talk.
My husband is one of the ones that is just glad to talk. He comes alive when he has people to talk with, joke with and share experiences. I sometimes think about just dropping him off at a Walmart so he can talk to people. I’d pick him up in a couple of hours…
I miss meeting people when we are not on the road. We have developed lifelong friendships with some of the people we have met. We share each other’s lives on Facebook, through Messenger and email and texts. It takes a small effort to maintain those relationships.
Learning new things
We are always learning something new as I drag my husband, who prefers lounging and meeting people, to the closest museum or national park movie. Keeping the brain active is important. Learning has been linked to reducing risks of cognitive decline and improving short-term and long-term memory. When RVing, the world is the proverbial crossword puzzle!
RVer mental health: We certainly are a happy bunch!
No wonder we RVers have great mental health! We have a way to hope and dream of the next trip in the throes of the dead of winter. Even amid RV breakdowns and crowded campgrounds there is always a perfect day, hike or sunset.
Keep on keeping on!
Editors note: For those few who answered our poll with “bad” and are unhappy or deeply depressed, please seek help. It can make all the difference in the world. Resources can be found in a Google search online, through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, through your doctor, and with the government’s Centers for Disease Control website.
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You may want to get your husband a job as a Walmart people greeter. Extra income!!
We bought our current house in 1990. We had a young family in a neighborhood of young families. Having like-aged kids who were close to home gave us the reason to interact with neighboring adults. The kids are adults with kids of their own. The neighborhood had gotten older, and then turned younger. We like kids, but they aren’t ours. Our neighbors work & raise their families.There is little commonality.
We winter in a RV park where a group of people, likewise retired, come back together each year. We have both common and varied interests. Life is not boring within this highly social group.
Thank you, Nanci! We especially like traveling during the winter. Nature is even more arround us because so few campsites are occupied and shielding us from it. Safe travels! 🙂
What a nice uplifting article to read this morning! I had to laugh as I have a husband just like yours. He meets someone and within 5 minutes they are best friends. He just loves to talk to people!
Again a really nice article for Sunday’s reading! We haven’t been on the road camping and traveling since the first week of October and it’s been sorely missed and needed just to keep my head on straight.
Hopefully I’ll know in the next few weeks when we can start planning for this years adventures. There’s so much more to do and see around this country, and Canada too!
Thank you, RV Travel, for reporting the results of the survey. I am glad the results were so positive. Have a great weekend and safe travels!