Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin she has been a digital nomad and called both Spain and Germany home. Once youve gathered enough information to plan a trip, its time to put an itinerary together. For those, head to G Adventures or Contiki, two great companies offering some of the best solo travel vacations. How to Overcome Your Fear of Traveling Vagabondish Do not let movies and media cloud your perspective on traveling. These things might include creating a battle plan by going over your itinerary multiple times to check for errors or getting to the airport . Upon choosing your travel destination, its important to do enough research about it to be well prepared for your big adventure. And while getting lost is a rite of passage for a solo traveler, we still need that phone charged. If youre into any niche hobbies or activities, for example acro yoga, see if theres an acro yoga meetup or acro yoga studio where youre headed. In the guide, I list 10 things you can do to overcome anxiety when flying alone. Fixing things that go down south is not the only responsibility a solo traveler often worries about. Fear and anxiety are evidence that you are doing something out of the ordinary, something worthwhile and potentially something dangerous. Yes, there are times when solo travel is lonely and sad. Your feelings of solo travel fear and pre-travel anxiety are normal and valid. Keep some of your prescription medication in your daypack and the majority in your luggage. Having a plan (and/or a backup plan) minimizes the stress of having to think where to eat, where to sleep or where to stay, etc. Travel journaling is very popular and a great way to release any tension in your body. You can also find a lot of solo travellers on the Travel subreddit. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Hodophobia: How to Manage a The Fear of Traveling - Healthline We humans, often to our own detriment, tend to long for what we dont have. My feeling of safety, or the statistic . While they may be related to a lack of confidence in yourself, they are often perceived exaggeratedly. Instead, acknowledge it. Why is it so easy to meet people when travelling alone? On this page, you can learn more how you cantravel with me on my group tours as a solo female traveller. 4) Do practice the common fear situation. RELATED ARTICLE 111 Solo Travel Quotes About Traveling Alone that Will Inspire You. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Tips Diagnosis Takeaway The fear of visiting a new, unfamiliar place and the stress of travel plans can lead to what's sometimes called travel anxiety. I estimate that the average solo traveller only spends around 10-20% of their trip alone and thats the time that they spend sleeping in private accommodation. One of the most common issues in people who have travel anxiety is the fear of flying. Say its name out loud and you take away its. My point is, that if you feel like absolute crap, allow yourself to feel it all. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. If you truly want to take your first trip alone as a woman, ask someone whos done it and avoid the advice of those who havent. Good luck! Imagine you meet someone in a museum, you fell in love at first sight, and youve been inseparable during this entire solo trip. Exposure therapy really is a solid way to confront a phobia, according to some experts. tips! But at the end of the day, I still want to travel the world! If your anxiety is triggered by being introverted by nature, dont fret! Instead of booking a solo trip abroad, start by doing activities solo. Mindfulness meditation has shown considerable effectiveness in reducing anxiety symptoms in many people. My Tips on How to Overcome the Fear of Travelling Alone - Rocky Travel 8 Safest Cities To Travel Alone As a Woman, The Best Experiences For Solo Travel To Europe, 5 Reasons To Visit France As A Solo Traveller 50+. If (or when) loneliness and homesickness show up, accept them as simply a feeling youre feeling and not the end of the world. How can I prepare for my trip so that my fears and anxieties are minimised? But instead of ignoring it, feel it and all the ups and downs. Visiting a new place in the middle of the night can be uncomfortable, leading to anxiety. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 All rights reserved. Get comfortable with short-term interactions like asking for directions. This brings up this relevant point: Being alone is not the same as being lonely. Your first solo trip is the scariest. Even experienced solo travellers can suffer from anxiety and fear before travelling alone. We are often given indirect and direct messages about specific cities and countries. For those still harboring stomach butterflies, we curated a list of 10 top tips for conquering solo travel fearsincluding advice from folks who have been thereand how to make plans for a trip that's both safe and adventurous. One of the ways I stayed safe as a solo female traveler is by trusting my intuition completely. You have time to focus on yourself you can be as lazy or as active as you like without other people judging you. 6) Imagine yourself in a difficult situation. 5) Motivation versus Fear. Required fields are marked *. You discover yourself you can be who you really are without anyone having any preconceived notions about you. Apple iPhone users can use Find My iPhone, whilst Google users can use Find My Device. Meditation and deep breathing are easy stress management tools to do on the go. Snap a clearly-visible photo of pages 1-2 of your passport. Sometimes it is safer to travel in a group. If you are willing to go on your own but at the same time are scared to travel alone, starting to visualise whats holding you back is the best way to allow you to move forward with your plan. If my intuition said, Something feels off about this person, I got away from them. Genetics: The genes people inherit are known to play a role in phobias and other anxiety disorders. Since this is such a normal part of the human experience, you can feel lonely in a crowd or even in a relationship. No, Im not going to give you my Instagram handle. If youre anxious about air travel, read my guide to flying alone for the first time. Traveling Solo Helped Me Overcome My Social Anxiety Happy Womens Day! Solo travel is an acquired taste! About 45% of women and 20% of men report safety concerns as their main reason for not travelling alone (Tourlane). The U.S. State Department says more than 300,000 Americanpassportsarelostor stolen each year, so while annoying, a lost passport is not the end of the world. Culture shock will probably happen in some regard. Emotional fear is that feeling that we experience when we respond to an imaginative situation or a major change that is going to take place. Understanding how to overcome the anxiety of traveling alone means adding tools to your travel toolbox. I started hyperventilating at the Chicago O'Hare airport on my first solo trip to Mexico. Thank the fear for being there, for trying to protect you. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. I repeatedly tell my readers: You are rarely lonely when you travel alone. This fear might be triggered by: Air. I asked myself all these questions before taking off for my first solo trip. Heaps of storage: I can fit my iPhone, Airpods, wallet, charging cable, sanitiser, sunglasses and more. And how does traveling actually help reduce anxiety? It was the first time that I had to plan the whole trip, get to the airport and maneuver a strange airport by myself. I get it. How to Overcome Your Travel Anxiety - Healthline The point I already mentioned about trusting your intuition is going to also come in handy for meeting people. Then when you get home post-solo trip, you can relive the moments as an auditory diary. Ill often meditate or fall asleep listening to nature sounds, Tibetan bowls or peaceful music. Read on to learn more about hodophobia and how to treat it. Travel Anxiety: 7 Ways to Cope While You're Traveling It seems solo travel for women is only weird for those who have never done it. It is structured at various levels to create alerts to protect us from real dangers and threats around us. With the color photocopy, photos of your passport, and two passport photos in hand, the nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy will assist you in getting your new passport so you can return to the U.S. However, if struggling to overcome the anxiety of traveling alone stops you, dont let it! But why is this so? 10 Tips on How to Embrace Solo Travel. Just as you insure your car, home and body, you can also get solo travel insurance for your trip. How to Overcome Anxiety - Verywell Mind How to Get Over the Fear of Traveling Alone | GoAbroad.com If you believe you have symptoms that hinder your daily functioning, please seek professional help. Every solo travellers biggest nightmare is losing their phone. Learn how your comment data is processed. While everyones experience differs, knowing how others have experienced certain cities and countries was good. The way you cope during a worst case scenario will depend on info you dont yet have, and heres an example to illustrate that. What if I get homesick or feel lonely? Naturally shy (like me)? I did a 10 day silent meditation retreat on the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, and one of the things I learned by not speaking and only listening was just how many thoughts we have per day. If being safe vs. unsafe is based on the probability of something terrible happening to you, then yes, you are unsafe absolutely everywhere on the planet even in your own home. Catastrophizing and worst-case-scenario thinking tell us what we dont want to happen; they do not, however, tell us what were incapable of dealing with. 80% of the time you are surrounded by other travellers, tour guides, motel staff and friendly locals. Most people are kind and will help you to overcome the challenges theyll provide companionship, share travel advice, help you speak the local language and much more. Since theres not, we must practice to make perfect (or at least easier and more comfortable). You can explore the streets on your own. Make sure your day bag or bum bag is packed with everything you need to make it back to your accommodation in an emergency: I never carry my passport on me. There are 23 tips above that you can use to tackle your fears when travelling alone. As helpful as the above thoughts can be for worried would-be globetrotters, the best way to deal with your fear of travel is to confront it directly. Having internet access will go a long way in quashing your fears and anxiety when travelling alone. This was not an easy mindset shift since conventional wisdom tells us to value facts over feelings But, the fact remains that safety is a feeling, not a fact, and your feelings are your best gauge of safety. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check your mailbox to confirm email subscription! Bring two extra passport photos with you when you travel. A random event, like physical assault from a stranger, is beyond awful, and I hope it never happens to any woman for the rest of time. Now that you know youll likely feel homesick or even lonely during travel at some point, how do you work with these feelings and not let them turn into full-fledged vacation anxiety? Maybe take a nap, read a book for an hour or try doing yoga or meditation to slow your thought process and come back to your original reasons for why you're on vacation. Six years later, I have travelled alone through 35 countries and work wherever I like as a freelance writer. Make a habit of journaling each day. Dont force yourself to do anything and allow yourself to feel all the emotions youre experiencing. Having said that, HELL YES solo travel is 1000%. While I dont have any idea how youll personally end up feeling about solo travel, I know that if youve read this far, it seems you owe it to yourself to find out. Its an amazing experience. So, is solo travel safe? And note that there are also times when solo travel is boring. What if [insert your worst case scenario] happens? Solo travel might seem like an intimidating idea at first to the extent that it may trigger anxiety for some people. travel with me on my group tours as a solo female traveller. That first solo trip was the first time I traveled somewhere, and no one was waiting for me. Local data plans are usually more affordable than international roaming or e-sims. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. A hot girl playlist is that list of songs that make you feel invincible like you can do anything! As did the hundreds of other solo travellers that I have met since. Navigating a place solo, planning an itinerary from start to finish, and being bold enough even to book a solo trip are all skills you already possess. If you plan to travel by yourself for the first time, its natural to feel apprehensive, no matter how keen you are to make it happen. Well dissect and unpack all of that in this article, dont worry. Consider joining group tours or group activities. When you realise that theres almost always someone around to help, you feel less fearful and anxious about travelling alone. Any old smartphone that you have lying around will do. In fact, with all that ready to go, youre much more prepared than the average traveler. Does the thought of traveling alone give you a case of solo travel anxiety? I find this leads to ethnocentrism, and I want to avoid that superiority complex to enjoy the journey of a solo trip. And all you have to do to break the ice is discuss your common interest travel. For now, lets look at five effective ways to transcend some of the most common pre-travel anxiety triggers, starting with solo female travel safety. If you are a woman and serious about travelling alone,then you should be prepared to dig deeper to understand where your fear is rooted and why you are scared to travel alone. Spend time planning the practical details of your solo trip so that you are physically and mentally prepared for the problems and emotions that will arise. ; Direct learning experience: A history of trauma or a traumatic experience such as being left or abandoned, or the loss of a parent or caregiver, can contribute to a fear . I make a habit of going here each morning with a coffee so that I can gather my thoughts and energise for the day.