Here’s how You Could Step out of your Comfort Zone when Travelling *

*This is a collaborative post.

Your comfort zone is often the thief of your personal progress. It will stop you from being able to experience your travel experience to the full and it will also stop you from having as much fun too.

Add an Activity that Scares You

Have you ever wanted to salsa dance? Maybe you want to go bungee jumping, but never had the guts to actually go ahead with it. If this sounds like you then you are certainly not alone, but you do need to try and push past this. Book your activity way in advance so that you don’t have as much chance to back out. You then need to research the activity and even talk about people who have done it themselves too. At the end of the day, there are tons of resources for you to choose from and each one is able to offer a unique perspective. The more you can soak up this information, the better you will feel when the time comes for you to take your trip.

Turn your Activities into a Learning Experience

It doesn’t matter whether you are tasting some local delicacies or whether you are volunteering at an animal shelter because there is always something out there for you to learn. Appreciate each country and always try and approach every situation with the right mindset. The more you can keep an open mind, the better because this will help you to push through your trip and it will also influence how you come across to other adventurers.

Say Yes as Much as Possible

Before you try something new, you may find yourself weighing up all of the pros and cons. The problem is that even when the odds are in your favour, you may still find it difficult to let those pesky “what ifs” get in the way.  One way for you to get around this would be for you to stop weighing up all of the options and for you to just go for it. Don’t think too much and just say yes. This will help you to adopt a new mindset and it will also help you to approach every situation with positivity.

Try New Things when You Can

If you are planning on travelling solo, then you may be tempted to avoid trying new things. This is very understandable, but you need to try and stop this from happening. Remember that everyone is braver when in a group, so consider enrolling in a group tour or even tag along to an expedition. When you do, you will still be travelling solo but you will be able to connect with other people and this can really boost your confidence.

Learn how to Stop Making Excuses

You probably have a little voice inside your head that always comes up with a clever way to opt-out of anything you dread. You know yourself more than anyone at the end of the day, so be smart when you’re planning things and stop making excuses for yourself. It doesn’t matter if you are too tired, if you don’t have enough money or even if you are short on time because it’s more than possible for you to work around every single one of these things if you try hard enough.

Find a Balance when Making Decisions

There is a time for spontaneity and there is also a time for perfect planning. If you want to try and get out of your comfort zone, then it’s very important that you identify your decisions and that you also know which ones are worth taking time over. For example, if you have never been kayaking before and the chance for you to go comes up then go for it. This is a snap decision that is worth making. If you have never slept in a hostel before on the other hand, then this may take some more planning. After all, you might not be comfortable sharing a room with strangers or you may be worried about thieves.

Push through the Fear

As a solo traveller, you have the option to go anywhere you want without having to worry about a thing. You don’t have to think about pleasing other people and you also don’t need to think about how you are going to agree on anything either. For instance, why not try a local concert, head to a national park to explore, or even pay a visit to a strip club. You should push yourself to go to destinations that you might never have thought of before. If you do, then you will soon find that you have way more fun on your vacation and that you also focus on your personal interests more. If you have any concerns about becoming ill on your trip and having nobody to rely on then this is understandable, but there are solutions that will help to put your mind at ease. For example, it’s possible for you to go for online doctor consultations if you do feel unwell, or even if you want to delay your period so you can venture out a little more comfortably.

Fake it Until you Make It

If you know that you just aren’t a very brave person at all then it helps to become someone else while you are travelling. Fake it until you make it, and ask yourself, “what would an extrovert do?” Little things like this can help you to find the inner courage you need. You also need to remember that you aren’t going to see anyone you know when you are out on your adventure either, so you don’t need to worry about being embarrassed or even making a fool out of yourself.

Don’t Take Life Too Seriously

Having a good sense of humour is one of the best ways for you to have fun when you are on vacation. If something does go wrong, then moping around won’t help you. In fact, it might actually make you feel worse. The one thing that you can do to help yourself here is to laugh at your mistakes instead of dwelling on your failure. Stay on the road, and remember that nothing ever really goes to plan. Sometimes life will throw you curveballs when you expect it the least and it won’t wait for you to catch up either. A lot of people see roadblocks as being learning curves, and the more you try and learn from them, the better you will feel in the end.

Of course, there are so many things that you can do to try and help yourself to feel more confident when you are out on your vacation and the sooner you start to make the effort, the faster you will start to see results. If you still don’t feel confident then why not book a holiday with a friend, with the intention of doing your own thing from time to time? This will help you to make the most out of your trip while also somewhat preparing you for solo travel. Remember that nothing happens overnight and if you want to be comfortable then sometimes that involves taking small steps and also focusing on what’s happening rather than what could happen. Forums are also a fantastic way for you to meet new people, so make sure that you sign up to a few, get to know others who have travelled solo in the past and pick up as many hints and tips as you can. This will put your mind at ease while also helping you to prepare for your next big adventure.