Hey travellers!
Solo traveling is great but as humans we will naturally experience days where it just does not feel so great. This could be for numerous reasons; home sickness, FOMO of your friends and family in other places, or pure loneliness. It is inevitable to feel these things and are all part of the journey. One thing I can assure you of, is that every solo traveller experiences it and it is not always worth giving up your dreams to avoid it.
I am a sensitive person by nature and do not take feelings lightly. My journey solo traveling till this point has been a rollercoaster of positive and negative emotions. There are days where I feel like I am living my best life and days where I want to be at home, which is currently in no specific location. What I have learnt though was this; the feelings come and go and are often based off of my circumstances. The days I have felt horrible have always been when I had no friends around, was feeling ill or was facing some sort of challenge that I struggled to overcome in the moment.
Acknowledging why you feel down is the first step. I always felt better when I took into consideration the current situation and how I felt a day or two before that when I was doing something exciting, seeing something interesting or socializing either online with people from home or with people I had met along my trip. Recognising and admitting that these were feelings I felt even whilst not traveling when in similar situations helped me disassociate these feelings with solo traveling and rather with simply being human. It is okay to feel these uncomfortable feelings and to let them pass. It is more important to recognise and deal with them than to dwell on them.
I am by no means a therapist or anything alike, but I speak from experience and from a character of common uncertainty and a perspective of getting through it. Speak to someone you are close with. This could be your parents, a close friend or a romantic partner. It always helps to get your feelings out there and shed a tear or two. Remember, feelings and emotions are simply chemical reactions based off of stimulation and if you deal with them exactly as they are, it can be simple to react and move past them.
As simple as it sounds, take moments to breathe, because most of the time it really is that simple. Find a nearby park to sit and spend some time outdoors or listen to some music. If there are people around you that you can socialize with, do that. Do not hibernate in a pool of sadness because this will likely make you feel worse. It is important to listen to yourself and respect your needs.
Another point I personally dealt with was shame and regret whenever I felt horrible. For many the opportunity you have may not be possible and feeling guilt around experiencing negative emotions when you are supposed to be so called 'living the dream' can easily make you feel like you are not worthy to feel them, but this is far from true. Even in the best circumstances there are days where we will be down, and this is no need to feel any form of shame.
Traveling is emotionally stressful! It is not always easy and hassle free and this tends to hype up emotions of worry and anxiousness. You are in no rush. Take a moment and gather yourself. There will always be a way out even when it does not feel like it. Make sure to plan your days that you have some wiggle room for when things go wrong so that you have time to fix them and assess the situation with the right headspace. I often take off days where I do nothing productive or 'touristy' and reassure myself it is okay because traveling and trying to fit things into short time spans does not make you immortal or immune to the needs and experiences of being human. I touched on this once over social media where I spoke of catching the flu and missing out on a day of activity by staying in the hostel to feel better. I did this because a few days before that I spoke to a friend solo traveling who did the opposite and pushed through and took forever to feel any better. Take note of your physical needs and respond to them! Give yourself the necessary time to reset, especially when you have been on the road for a long time and actually need it.
I hope that these points have been helpful and remember you are not alone, and these experiences are part of the solo travel journey. Experience them, recognise them and react accordingly without making it worse than it has to be. Emotions are only as serious as you make them!
Happy traveling,
Taz xx
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