It isn’t easy dealing with a breakup. An avalanche of hurt, distress and sadness comes crashing down on you, often when you least expect it. Instead of looking to friends and family for support, getting away from it all can make a huge difference. Sometimes all you need is a fresh take on things, some breathing space and a wider perspective. Know what can give you all three, and more? Some solo travel. In fact, it’s just what the doctor ordered.
We give you six reasons why going on a solo trip right now is the best thing you could do for your emotional, mental and physical health.
1. Reboot Your Self Esteem
A relationship that didn’t work out can damage your self-worth to the point where you start to question why you deserve the best. To reframe that question and help yourself realize that you do indeed deserve nothing less than the best, take a trip outside your comfort zone, literally and figuratively. Travel has a marvelous way of expanding your horizons while reminding you of how cool you really are. Even the very act of planning a holiday can boost your self-esteem, while exploring a new place on your own and having to be resourceful on the go does wonders for how you view yourself.
2. Repair, Rebuild & Re-route
Being part of a couple creates the illusion that you are just half a person, after a split. You need to remember that you are a whole individual with unique needs and dreams that need to be nurtured. Traveling to a foreign land or even just another city you’ve never visited before can help you rediscover those needs and dreams. Independence is exhilarating, if you use this time to review the past. In this fresh setting, you can plan the future too, without old fears inhibiting you.
3. Make New Connections
Let go of the old, and bring in the new. Traveling to an unfamiliar place will force you to forge new connections. Don’t be scared, it’s an adventure waiting to happen. Open up and pay attention to fellow travelers, friendly locals, even the employees who make your travel, stay and dining experiences enjoyable. While you don’t have to be best buds right off the bat, do strike up a conversation and listen to their stories. Meeting new people will remind you of how you are certainly not alone, and that there are folks with similar interests everywhere.
4. Refresh Your Perspective
Being wrapped up in your hurt can dull your senses, and make you see negativity everywhere. By traveling, you open yourself up to the possibility of seeing things with new eyes. Not only will you have a newfound appreciation for the everyday, you will also be able to appreciate the exotic. There’s nothing like being away from your usual surroundings to cherish them even more when you get back.
5. Reject The Familiar
Don’t fall into the trap of being on holiday, while being mentally stuck with your everyday routine. We recommend switching off: stay away from social media, put your phone on airplane mode once you’ve let your family and friends know you’re safe, and do not contact your ex. Traveling means you don’t have to run the risk of hanging out in familiar places that will bring back painful memories, or meet friends whose sympathy will rankle you. Keep it that way. What’s even better is there’s absolutely no chance of going on the rebound with a friend, or mistakenly confiding in a ‘frenemy’ in a moment of weakness.
6. Enjoy Your Own Company
The biggest bonus of traveling solo is that it will impress upon you the joys of being single. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in a relationship, you need to remember what it was like to be generously ‘selfish’. On your travels, you will slowly segue into being alone and loving it. We don’t mean you have to climb a mountain or sail into the ocean; there’s plenty of places to be alone in the middle of a crowd such as airplanes, airports, restaurants, all great locations to practice enjoying your own wonderful company.
A breakup isn’t something we look forward to, but if it does happen, seek solace in travel.
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