![\"The](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Little-Miss-Sunshine.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMost people have toxic relationships in their lives, but they can be hard to see when you’re nose-up to the action.<\/p>\n
And that’s where solo travel comes in.<\/p>\n
When you travel alone, you gain the distance and head space to recognise the people who bring you down. And, since you can’t escape every difficult figure in your life, you develop the levity to handle them, too.<\/p>\n
It’s a pretty radical effect \u2013 here’s how to put it to test:<\/p>\n
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How solo travel helps: <\/strong>a healing distance<\/p>\n Families are like fudge, said comedian Les Dawson: mostly sweet, with a few nuts.<\/p>\n It’s easy to feel hemmed in by demanding or dysfunctional relatives, and many of us find it tough to set limits. But finding your own space is key to keeping your cool.<\/p>\n And sure, you can’t run away from your problems, but hopping on a plane will give you instant distance from the issues weighing you down.<\/p>\n Think of it as the long-haul version of going out for a walk at Christmas, when the sherry-fuelled family drama hits its peak.<\/p>\n When you travel alone, you cut loose from the obligations<\/a> that frame you in day-to-day life.<\/p>\n You’re no longer someone’s sister, son or aunt but a person of independent means \u2013 free to do what you want and be who you want<\/a>, without any feelings of lingering resentment\/ guilt.<\/p>\n Of course, the holiday has to end sometime. But by gifting yourself regular time out in the form of solo travel, you’re carving the space to be a bigger person.<\/p>\n Not only will you<\/em> feel better, you’ll be kinder and more tolerant as a result.<\/p>\n How solo travel helps: <\/strong>fresh perspective<\/p>\n If anything, friends are more important than family for our health and happiness<\/a>. So when things go south in a friendship, it can really hit hard.<\/p>\n Studies show around 40% of people have been ghosted<\/a> by a mate, while other friendships simply fade away due to circumstance or life stage.<\/p>\n Either way, solo travel is a healer here. By venturing out alone \u2013 whether you’re beach-hopping in Bali<\/a> or hiking the Morocco hills<\/a> \u2013 you allow yourself room to process how you’re feeling.<\/p>\n Read more: How to make friends in your 30s and 40s<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n It’s easy to get stuck on the one person who makes you feel bad.<\/p>\n But when you broaden your horizons, you remind yourself that there’s a whole world out there. And it’s filled with interesting new people<\/a> and potential friends (you’ll be amazed how easy it is<\/a> to meet other travellers when you’re on the road, too).<\/p>\n Since your self-esteem<\/a> will have taken a dent, this is also a chance to rebuild the damage. By tackling day-to-day decisions on your own, your resilience will gear up. You, my friend, can bounce back from anything.<\/p>\n How solo travel helps:<\/strong> new and distracting challenges<\/p>\n Nothing messes with your head like the maelstrom of office politics, particularly when you’re the underdog in the equation.<\/p>\n Bullying or lack of support accounts for around 27% of work-related stress disorders<\/a> in the UK, so it’s fair to say that a boss who undermines you can wreck havoc on your life.<\/p>\n What’s the answer? Well, you probably need to speak to HR or think about changing jobs.<\/p>\n But, for a more immediate coping strategy, you need something to remove you from your whirring mind. A distraction that’s direct and potent enough to cut through the negative thought cycle you’re likely stuck on.<\/p>\n Read more: Feel the fear with these 6 daredevil challenges<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Solo travel hits the mark here, because it’s brimming with challenges \u2013 both large and small. First, you have all the logistics of being in a new place: where to stay, whether to book that sleeper train, how much money you have left.<\/p>\n Then you have the full sensory overload of your new environment. Think about arriving in old-town Hanoi<\/a>, with its mass of bleeping scooters and tiny, chaotic streets. Or Jordan’s capital Amman<\/a>, with its heaving downtown bazaar and an ancient, atmospheric cityscape.<\/p>\n You’ll be so busy getting your head around the cacophony of new languages, sights, smells and cultural norms, you won’t have time dwell on anything else. Especially not the unfairness of what Dan your line manager said in your latest appraisal.<\/p>\n How solo travel helps:<\/strong> managing your time in a positive way<\/p>\n Un-break my heart crooned Toni Braxton, in a song that cuts right to the crux of relationship pain.<\/p>\n When you go through a tough break-up, it’s hard to imagine a time when you’ll be OK again (and occasionally people do actually die from a broken heart<\/a> \u2013 so it’s no imaginary trauma).<\/p>\n All you really want to do is mope and wallow in your loss. But, while an ice-cream binge or three is soup for the soul, dwelling is not.<\/p>\n Read more: I celebrated my 30th birthday by travelling alone<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Studies show that distracting yourself<\/a> is crucial in heartbreak recovery, and this healing process is best handled via positive time management. You need to foster optimism for the future, rather than hankering over the past.<\/p>\n “This means no Facebook stalking,” writes attorney and relationships guru Dr. Wendy Patrick, in Psychology Today<\/em><\/a>. “Time spent checking the status updates, likes, and another online activity of an ex is far better spent meeting new people and making new friends.”<\/p>\n Of course, you may not be in the mood to socialise in your fragile break-up state. But solo travel will propel you out of your comfort zone and into the Great Unknown, so this process will happen almost without you thinking about it.<\/p>\n Throw yourself headlong into kayaking in Colombia<\/a> or trekking the Sri Lankan tea hills<\/a>, and you’ll be managing your time in a positive way. Against all your baser instincts, the road to recovery kicks in.<\/p>\n Hop aboard for a game-changing adventure with a group of like-minded solo travellers<\/p>\n Challenge yourself in Chile<\/strong><\/p>\n This thrill-a-minute adventure sees us boat between the looming glaciers of Patagonia, and hike in Torres del Paine National Park on a rousing day-long trek through gleaming lakes and snow-capped peaks. We’ll visit a family-run vineyard in the wine hills of Casablanca, white-water raft the Petrohu\u00e9 River and knock back sundowners amid the ethereal, lunar-like landscape of the Atacama desert. Win.<\/p>\n Three cheers for Chile<\/a><\/p>\n Hike high in the Himalayas<\/strong><\/p>\n Veer away from the selfie-wielding tourists with this nine-day ascent through more remote foothills of the Himalayas. Our route takes us off the Everest Trail to a tucked-away world of rhododendron forest and far-flung Sherpa villages. After slowly climbing through a spectacular landscape of gushing rivers and towering peaks, we’ll reach the viewpoint at Farak Ri (5,000 metres) \u2013 and a champagne breakfast to celebrate.<\/p>\nFor friendship fallouts<\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/The-film-Bridesmaids.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFor a bullying boss<\/h3>\n
![\"Meryl](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Meryl-Streep-and-Anne-Hathaway-in-The-Devil-wears-Prada.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFor messy break-ups<\/h3>\n
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\nWhere to travel solo this year<\/h3>\n
![\"Patagonia\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/IntineraryChile10.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Nepal-adventure-solo-travelers-11.jpg\")
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