More and more people now go for holidays on their own, to have their own little adventure or simply just to have some down time to themselves. If it is something you have not done before it can seem bit daunting though and not very appealing. I love holidays with friends or family but have had some of the best experiences and have made great new friends when I have gone away by myself. It can really push you out of your comfort zone which is always a good thing to open your mind and boost your confidence. If you are in two minds about whether to go it alone here are my top benefits for travelling alone:
1. You are totally free and independent. You can do what you want when you want. It also means you have to make your own decisions. If you are someone who often needs to consult others before deciding what to do it will help you flex that muscle of trusting yourself and what you want.
2. You meet more people when you are on your own. Whenever I have travelled alone I have never actually been alone for very long as you meet people where ever you go. If you find it hard to meet new people this will be great practise for you in small talk and creating new friendships. Plus the types of people you meet are so diverse you are likely to meet different personalities than you already have in your everyday life. This helps you to see new perspectives and opens your mind to new ways of thinking.
3. You might feel a bit scared; if you have not travelled alone you will be pushed out of your comfort zone. Eating alone, taking an overnight train trip, turning up to a new place without accommodation, booking a local tour not knowing where you are going, getting a bus and not knowing what stop to get off at…..are all examples of things you might not be used to. Doing things that scare you a bit will boost your self-confidence and belief that you can cope with anything. We don’t develop so much when we stay in our comfort zone doing the same things day in day out.
4. You find yourself in situations you never imagined (for example getting up at 4am with a group of people you just met to walk through jungle, hike up a rock face with no safety equipment to a tiny Indian temple to watch the sunrise to then climb down and all have a lovely milky sweet chai tea together) and once home you will look back with fond memories and a huge sense of achievement.
5. You are totally free to do what you want and be yourself. You don’t have to do anything you feel like you “should”, to live up to the expectations of others, you are simply free to be you. This should be the case day to day anyway but unfortunately our minds tend to get caught up with comparing ourselves and pleasing others.
6. You immerse yourself in different cultures which open your mind and help you to see life from new perspectives.
7. It gives you time and space to think and evaluate. Time away from your everyday life and people gives you a chance to see your life from a new perspective, you don’t have other people’s opinions swaying you. You are free to work out what you want from your life all on your own. Which is great as it will be what you really want 100%.
If you are thinking of going off travelling some websites I recommend are:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ http://www.travelfish.org/ http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ http://www.makemytrip.com/
Have fun! For 1-1 confidence coaching please contact Louise at [email protected]
