5 Reasons Why You Need to Travel Solo - And How to Achieve It
Have you been working long hours or doing parts if your job outside of your job description? Do you awaken in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep? Do you wake up and dread getting out of bed? These are all reasons why you need to travel solo now!!
So now you ask yourself why a solo trip? Why not just take a vacation with your family, partner, or friend? The short answer is that you need an escape. An escape from whatever you have been doing in your life. Basically, you need a break for your mental health.
Disclaimer – I do not have any training in mental health issues. The opinions expressed in this article are my own and are based on observations and articles I have read.
Reason #1 – Lessen Stresses of Mental Health
Imagine, if you will, that your life consists of two columns. These columns support everything you do and make you who you are. The first column contains all aspects of your home life. This is where you interact with your family and friends. You do all the mundane things in life that you need to live. Clean the house, buy the groceries, cook the meals, etc. If you have young children, there are needs that they require in addition to yours. Inside each column are several roles, responsibilities, tasks, and expectations.
All these home related tasks create a stress on your mental health. Is the house clean enough, did I get the best value for the groceries, is my yard well kept? Will the children succeed in school? What will the neighbours think? Each role or responsibility is like a rope or cable that together they make one. These tasks are the somewhat unspoken expectations from society. Many of us often wear too many hats and succumb to societal pressures. If this is you, you need to travel solo now!
The Columns of Life
The second column of your life is related to your work. Do I like my job? Do others like my work? Am I paid enough for my position? Should I change careers? All these queries can lead to self doubt and the constant need for validation. This too can add pressure on your mental health.
In times past, there was a common belief that men in the office had a wife that they went home to as well as a “work wife”. The work wife was typically a woman in a secretarial role that the businessman often confided in. I understand that this concept is somewhat dated and changed in today’s society but there are still confidants in the office, nonetheless. (I will not discuss this concept further as it brings in a whole other topic on relationships.) Often these confidants provided relief in relationships, validation, or offered a different perspective on problems. Answers and solutions were brought home and stresses were reduced.
The Impact of the Pandemic
So, what are the reasons why you need to travel solo now? The answer can be simplified when we consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This horrible virus forced employers to either layoff or furlough their employees or compel them to work from home. By having everyone at home, working or not, the two columns of life and the cables or ropes within them start to intertwine. In the short term, this mixing can be good as it can relive some work stresses such as daily commutes or the dreaded question, what to bring for lunch.
Being at home for the long term, however, can push these cables to further twist. This causes the boundary line between them to blur, and we find ourselves overstressed. Without correction depression, anxiety, and alcoholism can start to encroach our daily lives. If left untreated, our mental health can unravel and we are broken and no longer connected to what grounds us.
We are seeing this evidenced by people reluctant to communicate with others, or even work in the traditional sense. How many times have you heard “I can’t deal with people anymore?”
In my opinion, this blurring of boundary lines and twisting of life’s cables is the crux of many mental health issues of late.
Reason #2 – We need an Escape from Reality
Mix up the Routine –
For many of us, routine is something that we have created for ourselves. We wake up in the morning, shower, dress, take the dog for a walk, get a coffee, go to work. Not necessarily in that order but you get the picture. Some people will start the day with a trip to the gym. After a period doing work, there will be a lunch followed by dinner. After dinner perhaps you spend time on the internet or go to a church group or do the gym thing then. The point being that for many people, this is the same routine day in and day out. Weekends will usually be a little different with more household chores or perhaps some shopping. Routine can put yourself into an unfulfilled rut.
After spending so much time doing the same thing, it becomes boring and monotonous. It lacks inspiration. We may start to regret doing certain activities if they become too much like work or no longer bring us joy. This is a great excuse to go on that solo trip.
Less talking in the house –
When the world was sent home in March 2020, many households had to accept the fact that several members of the family would be at home all day, all the time. For those of us that had multiple workers in the house, there were times when everyone seemed to be on the phone, a Teams meeting or Zoom call at the same time. There were a lot of voices in the house. And there was very little time when the house was actually quiet. Everyone needs quiet time now and then.
If you are like me, I loved having a day off when my husband was at work so that I could just relax and do my own thing. Now that the world has changed, those silent days are almost non-existent. Even if I am not working, phone calls and meetings are still held. The peacefulness is just not there.
Even though since 2022 we both work in a hybrid model, (some days at home, some in the office), I find that the need for quiet time still exists.
Change of Scenery –
This reason why you need to travel solo is somewhat related to mixing up the routine but in this case, the scenery or location is changed. Sometimes a different environment can mean a change in perspective and can ease some of the stresses on our mental health. For some, this change in scenery could mean a simple weekend getaway while others need a much longer duration at achieve the same effects. Solo trips are the best providers of this change of scenery which is why they are so beneficial. Sometimes you just need to get on a plane and go somewhere.
Take Control of Decisions –
Often early in relationships, decisions are made together while as we age, we tend to just agree and let other people make decisions for us. Sometimes it is easier to just agree than to think about what we really want or to even have the discussions at all. Without detailed discussions, regrets can occur regarding some decisions. This in turn can lead to feelings of failure or inadequacy as we have allowed someone else to make decisions for us. If left long enough, this can lead to stresses within relationships. By taking a solo trip, we allow ourselves to re-learn how to make our own decisions and accept the consequences of them.
Meet new people –
Meeting new people is one of the best reasons why you need to travel solo. When you are surrounded by the same people all the time, you become complacent to their stories and conversations and sometimes begin to tune them out and not really listen. Meeting new people on a solo trip causes us to re-learn how to listen to other people and understand feelings of empathy, sympathy, or excitement. It is a great way to re-introduce joy and inspiration into our life.
Reason #3 – Recharge Your Body and Mind –
Trying New foods –
Discovering new food while on a solo trip can bring a whole new appreciation and love for food itself. Do you make the same meals week after week? Perhaps you are in a different country and there is a restaurant inside your hotel. Would you rather order something familiar or try something new? If the purpose of your solo trip is to encourage change, then experimenting with a new food is a must! New foods can give us inspiration for dishes once we return home and create revitalized joy for our own menu creation.
Re-establish Independence –
Independence is something that many of us start with in our adult life. As we tend to “couple up” some of this independence gets lost with the desire to please the other partner. Over the years, this independence can get eroded away to the point that we can become completely dependent on the other person without realizing it. For our own sake, everyone needs to relearn how to be independent again. Solo travel allows us to set our own schedule and make our own decisions.
Explore New Cultures and History –
Exploring new cultures and history is something that almost everyone wants to do at some point in their life. Doesn’t everyone have a bucket list? But now the question is, what do we do with this bucket list? Do we just keep adding to it or do we take the time and experience it? Exploring new cultures and places in history can give us a new perspective on the aspects of our own life. Sometimes, we need to go away to be able to appreciate what we have. Seeing how other people live is one of the best reasons you need to travel solo. You and only you will interact with these people and ponder how their differences can reflect in your own life.
Take a Tech break –
Technology surrounds us in the world today. We use technology in almost everything that we do. From working to banking to buying groceries, it seems that there is no escape. Even essential services like education and medical appointments have taken a digital footprint since the pandemic gripped the world. But sometimes, we must take the time to turn it off and totally re-charge our lives. We do not always have to be on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Sometimes, you need to take a solo trip just to be able to unplug from everything. That is not to say that going off-grid is a requirement but at least cutting back on technology would be beneficial to our mental health.
Restore Exercise –
Exercise is something that most people do in their lives whether they want to or not. It could mean a daily walk around the block with the dog or a regular trip to the gym. Perhaps you are the weekend warrior that must cycle/run/paddle as fast as you can all the time. Or maybe you are the adrenaline junkie that sets out to conquer a high speed or dangerous sports. Or maybe you want to do all these things, but time does not allow it, or you put them aside so that others can experience their own sports. Isn’t it about time that you do these activities too? A solo trip is a great way to accomplish exercise at your own pace. After all, it doesn’t have to be fast or exciting all the time.
Reason #4 – Learn Something New –
Lessons in adulting –
When children start to grow up, parents tend to lesson their grips on them and allow them to start making their own decisions. But there is always the fear of letting go too much. As a parent, we want to prepare our kids to enter the world and be able to survive. I spite of all the efforts we go to, when a child becomes a teen and later a young adult, there are always some aspects of life that we cannot prepare them for. Some people never learn these lessons. As young adults, taking solo trips or at least trips without parents, these people begin to learn some of life’s lessons. Some of these lessons can include how to avoid taxi scams, how to bargain or how not to become the victim of a pickpocket. Perhaps you need to recall these lessons.
Learn a new language –
Learning a new language is a great wat to learn about yourself. It teaches you to think about your thoughts and how to express them. A new language starts at the very beginning or progresses at a natural pace. As you gain more vocabulary, you learn more about thoughts, feelings, and expressions. Sometimes, we become so busy in our lives that we forget how to express ourselves and explain what we really want. Learning a new language for a trip re-introduces this skill.
Learn how to Congratulate yourself –
While today’s world often seems like it is spinning out of control and everyone is so busy, we often forget to acknowledge or accept our own accomplishments. We need to re-learn how to congratulate ourselves. Take the time to appreciate a job well done. Go out to dinner. Celebrate. Buy something you want, not something you need. Living through the pandemic took many of these frivolities away from us for the sake of safety. However, we need to remind ourselves that self-validation is also important for our mental health. By taking a solo trip, it allows us to check that destination off that bucket list and gives us that sense of accomplishment that we all deserve.
Reason #5 – Have Fun for a Change –
Getting lost –
They say our lives can be so much better if we all just had a bit of fun. Fun provides a break from reality and laughter allows our minds to wander into other places. When we travel, sometimes we are very structured. This creates stress and often negates one of the purposes of travel in the first place. By allowing ourselves not to have an itinerary, there is the possibility of getting lost. Is that so bad? When we are lost, we often have a new perspective on our surroundings and simple environments can be amplified. New adventures await that can be pleasant and unexpected.
Experiences not at home –
Taking a solo trip allows us to take on some experiences that we are not required to do at home. This could be planning flights, hotels, or activities. Or it could mean experiencing something that is just not available at home such as having dinner with Australian Aboriginals in their home. Without the judgements of another person, you are free to enjoy whatever experiences come your way. No one to ask, no one to approve.
Being Spontaneous –
Without a companion, a solo trip allows us to be more fun and/or spontaneous than perhaps we are at home. We no longer ask permission or need to schedule something in. We are free to just do it. There is nothing holding us back except ourselves. Sometimes these spontaneous activities or events can lead to other positive choices in our lives that we had not thought of. W do not need to be scheduled all the time and when we reach the point that we are, we start to lose some of the fun in our lives. By travelling solo, we can start to regain this fun and remember what exactly we like to do n our spare time.
Conclusion
In summary, there are five major reasons why you need to travel solo trip now. These being, reduce mental stress, escape from reality, recharge your body and mind, learn something new and have some fun. Within each reason, however; there are several methods that can help you achieve this. With all these benefits, why wouldn’t you take a solo trip?
When you are facing struggles in your life, sometimes it is best to just take a step back and re-evaluate everything that you do and have done. Sometimes, you just need to take that solo trip to restore your mental health and re-set your life. Sometimes, you need to start a travel blog to share your experiences and connect with other bloggers.
As an Unknown author once said:
“Sometimes, you just need a break. In a beautiful place. Alone. To figure everything out.”
If you are experiencing signs of mental stress, please reach out to your local Mental Health professional and seek guidance.
You might be interested in reading about my solo trip that did not go as planned:
Solo and Scared: My 52-Hour Flight to Fiji
Or:
How To Use Travel As a Journey of Self-Discovery
If you have any comments or additions to these reasons why we need to travel solo, please let me know.
When I decided to travel alone it was because I was tired of waiting for my friends' decisions about trips.
Just the not having to have a conversation is nice once in a while. I wrote a poem about being alone occasionally the other day so this really resonated. Xx