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    A good life begins in your own company.

    • Scared of Traveling Alone: How to Deal with Solo Travel Anxiety

      Daniel John
      ,

      Don’t let your fear of traveling alone hold you back. These tips will help.

      I’m pretty happy being by myself. In fact, I would say I’m comfortably a 4.5 on the Five Stages of Being a Merry Loner. I’ve gotten to the point where going to the cinema with anyone else seems utterly ridiculous (it’s the least social activity imaginable), and there is not a shred of self consciousness when eating alone at a restaurant. Zilch.

      So, you’d assume solo travel would be a breeze, right? Well, let me introduce you to my pal: anxiety.

      The shortlist: 4 strategies to stop being scared of traveling alone

      1. If you’re spiraling over all the what-ifs
      2. If you’ve heard hostels are great—but you’re nervous about staying with so many strangers
      3. If you’ve got major decision fatigue when traveling alone
      4. If you’re overwhelmed by all the new sights, sounds, and smells

      Coping with solo travel anxiety

      My love-hate relationship with anxiety (he is, in his own way, trying to protect me) began at an early age. I was the kid who got nervous at sleepovers, the one who fretted whether his toys were getting along, and above all, the one who really hated change. And guess what? As it turns out, travel is just one long exercise in change: new beds, new people, new daily uncertainties.

      Despite all that, I’ve somehow managed to survive (and occasionally thrive) through two months of interrailing around Europe and half a year of navigating Turkey and Southeast Asia. In fact, as I type, I’m in the process of packing my bags to head back to Vietnam. All on my merry lonesome. 

      Whether you’re a proud loner or just Loner Curious, it’s still normal to be a little scared of traveling alone—but that doesn’t mean you have to let solo travel anxiety hold you back from your dream destinations.  

      Let’s go hand-in-hand through some of the top reasons people have a fear of traveling alone—and come up with strategies to kick your solo travel anxiety:

      More articles on solo travel: 

      Solo Travel to Paris: Itinerary for Traveling to Paris Solo + 26 Things to Do Alone in Paris

      I Don’t Like Traveling Alone—But I Keep Doing It Anyway

      Alone at Night in Paris—Where to Take Yourself on a Solo Date