Thinking of going on a solo getaway but not sure if it’s worth the price to travel alone? Read on.
November 14, 2022
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The Power of Solitude
I recently returned from a solo getaway.
There’s something about the fall that flips a switch inside me. It feels like a new beginning, a time to shed the layers I no longer need, to cocoon, and to dream.
Maybe it’s from childhood conditioning — starting a new school year each September; maybe it’s ancestral imprinting — the New Year is November 1st on the Celtic calendar; maybe it’s witnessing the incredible transformation of nature; or maybe it’s just my own internal rhythm that signals it.
But for whatever reason, I feel called to let go of what no longer serves me and to usher in the new. And the best way I know how to do that is solo time, especially in nature.
After this retreat, I felt called to share the magic of a solo getaway, and the reasons why every woman should try it.
I’ve shared a handful of photos here but you can find many more on my Instagram story highlight “SOLO TRIP” (@styled.by.light). The forest orb photos are my favourite!
Here are 8 reasons why you should go on a solo getaway — right now! 😉
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1: It Awakens the Courageous Adventurer Within
There’s something about solo travel that awakens the inner adventurer. Going on a trip with someone else is enjoyable — but it’s also safe. Not in the “I-need-someone-to-protect-me-way” but in the way that a partner or friend provides a level of comfort you don’t get when traveling solo.
When you’re on your own, without any social expectations, you may find you’re more likely to try new things and awaken a sense of strength and adventure you didn’t realize you had.
2: It Provides Space for Stillness
It also takes courage to spend time with yourself.
So often we subconsciously distract ourselves in order to keep from facing emotion and inner wisdom that may spark discomfort.
But stillness is one of the healthiest things you can do.
It gives your body time to rest, clear your mind from clutter, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system — which can reduce anxiety, stimulate digestion, maintain a resting heart rate, relax your bladder, etc.
Stillness also allows the quiet voice of your inner wisdom the presence to be heard. And when you finally give it a platform without disruption, wow, will it speak volumes.
3: It Quiets Your Critic
It’s funny, when you don’t have anyone to share complaints with, you stop complaining!
The ego is stimulated by the shared experience of complaining. It seems to have the idea that complaining together equals bonding together. And when there’s no one to complain to, the brain stops looking for things to complain about and it slowly deprograms your inner critic.
If it’s raining, you deal with it. If the server is taking a long time to visit your table, you wait. You don’t go down the rabbit hole of negative discussion that can snowball when you’re with others.
And what’s so amazing, is that when you return home, if you complain, you notice it.
After deprogramming the inner critic, it feels awkward to complain. And by taking the role of the observer, you can most definitely catch yourself before doing it.
4: It Ignites Emotional Authenticity
When you’re alone, you don’t think about how someone will react to you.
If you need to cry, you cry. If you need to punch your pillow, curse, or angry dance to music, you do it.
We’re so conditioned to take into consideration other people’s potential reactions (and in turn, judgements) to our emotions that we so often oppress them either consciously or subconsciously.
When you’re on a solo getaway, there’s a sense of freedom to feel the whole spectrum of your emotions.
And by allowing them to surface and flow, you’ll remove blocks and experience a deeply detoxing release.
5: It Builds Appreciation for Connection
Spending so much time on your own ignites a deep gratitude for connection.
When you do meet others or chat with a server at dinner, the conversation feels different. You’ll notice you select your words more consciously, and they flow from a more heart-centered than head-centered place.
And making a connection feels like a treat.
6: It Nurtures Desire
When you’re on a solo getaway you don’t have to follow a schedule, you don’t have to meet up with anyone at a specific time, and you don’t have to collaborate or come together to make decisions.
You do exactly what you want to do when you want to do it.
A bath at 12 pm: Perfect. A nap before dinner: Absolutely. Waking at 5 am to write: Awesome.
You recenter your world around you. And you allow the child within the love and attention that (if you’re a mother) you’d usually give your own children.
You feel seen, heard, and cared for.
And you realize that your body is signaling to you what it needs throughout each day — we just so often don’t pay attention.
7: It Cultivates Self-Worth
This is the most transformative benefit of a solo wellness retreat.
When you take yourself on a getaway, you’re telling yourself that you matter.
Your body, mind, and soul matter.
And that you alone are worth the time off and the cost of the trip.
There’s nothing more loving than knowing your worth.
8: It Benefits All Your Loved Ones
You aren’t the only one that’ll benefit from your solo wellness retreat.
Guaranteed you will not come home the same. And everyone you encounter will experience the shift.
How to Achieve Lasting Change from a Solo Getaway
Take a Mental Photo
During your getaway, choose to imprint a serene moment in your mind. Not just the image, but the feeling. The stillness, the warm tea cup in your hand, the soft pace of your heart. You can return to that place at any time in the future.
I make a point to do this every time I go on a retreat and I love the beautiful moments that stay with me forever.
Write it Down
Bring a notebook with you and write down any insights, goals, beliefs, and changes you want to implement when you return home.
Before you leave, review your notes and determine what needs to be done to make the changes you want to see in your life, then create a sustainable action plan.
Keep the Momentum Going
The most important thing is to consider your getaway as the starting point of a new chapter.
Ensure you do at least one small thing each day from your action plan.
And continue to find ways to remind yourself that you are, and always will be, worth it.
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