Solo Travel is Good For Your Mental Health
Solo travel is like planning a wedding. There are a thousand tiny decisions to be made. Where to stay, what limited shoes to pack, at what time to eat lunch so as not to spoil dinner, and so forth and so on.
We often spend an enormous amount of energy convincing ourselves of what we “should” do instead of what we actually WANT to do. When you’re solo traveling, no one is around to double check and confirm each decision. You just have to go with it.
Questions to ask yourself: Do I really care about that place? If I couldn’t take photos there, would I still want to go? If I couldn’t tell anyone else about it, would I still want to try it?
Connect to the Outside World
Sometimes we are so focused on our own horrible inner dialogue, personal problems, and self-loathing that we forget to look outside. It’s impossible to have a great time if the only thing on your mind is your own problems. It’s impossible to stay safe that way too.
Questions to ask yourself: Can I solve that problem right now? Can I focus on this and worry about that later? Will I regret not being present here?
Connect to your Inner Self
Likewise, it’s impossible to have a great time if you’re constantly caring for other people. Most people, focus on friends, family, spouses, and kids, even when they travel. Here, everything is about you, how you feel, what you need, and where you want to go.
This freedom allows you to tune into yourself. You don’t have to pretend to care about anything or sacrifice your plans. You control the schedule. Although, you can’t always control what happens.
Questions to ask yourself: If I could do/have anything right now, what would it be? What do I need?
Help Manage Emotions
Things will not only go wrong, its expected. You will miss trains, lose valuables, get lost, and find yourself bent over on a foreign toilet praying for your life. And that’s okay … Not only is it okay, in due time (sometimes a very long time) you will find it hilarious.
When you start to learn that your joy is not contingent on every single thing going according to plan, you free yourself for actual happiness. You start to embrace the potential of each moment instead of imposing your expectations of what it should be.
Questions to ask yourself: How can I change my mood around? What will help me relax? If I can’t change the plan, what can I do to feel better?
Feel Accomplished
Look at you go. You book trips, arrive to your destination, find yummy food, plan activities, dance, and talk to strangers all by yourself. You don’t need anyone to do it for you. You are a star!
Questions to ask yourself: Am I the best? Yes, duh.
