The benefits of taking a holiday on your own

POLOKWANE – There are many benefits of ditching the family and spending a holiday on your own, according to life coach Philip Buys.

“Sitting on a beach and forgetting about life back home can create a nice mental picture for some, however, there are more benefits when you use travelling as a way to reflect, learn, reset and figure out what really matters. Going on holiday alone should therefore not just be taken as a ‘time-out’ session, but instead a time where one can rediscover and reinvent oneself and one’s life. There are many clever people who will agree that the journey is more important than the destination.”

Buys said to go on holiday by yourself can be a scary experience, but that it can also be one of the most liberating and rewarding experiences of your life.

“In a time where mental health awareness is such an important thing, going on holiday on your own is a very good way of investing in yourself. If you are scared of being alone or if you don’t really like yourself, you are in bad company. You are the only person who will spend every second with yourself in this life and it is therefore important to invest in yourself and the relationship you have with yourself. You grow more when you are out of your comfort zone and travelling alone can also help one deal with depression and cultivate mindfulness.”

He added that a holiday on your own can be an opportunity to explore and expand your personal interests, spirituality and even provide a chance for cultural immersion. “A holiday on your own can be a time for a much-needed mindset shift shift instead of just a nerve wrecking and scary experience. It can be an opportunity to connect with new people and oneself, and should be a time for self-reflection and enlightenment.”

Buys said you should replace ‘What should I do?’ with ‘What do I want to feel?’.

“Focussing your trip to a conscious emotion will not only serve as a guide to your journey, but you can reflect on it during every moment of your trip. Instead of making your goal something insubstantial like you want to feel good, rather find something more meaningful such as ‘I want to feel unburdened’.”

Therefore, if you decide to jump in and go on holiday by yourself, make sure it is something that will feed your soul as much as it is a joyful physical experience. “Instead of pitching your tent for a weekend at a holiday resort or sitting on the beach for a few days, which does have its benefits as well, rather go volunteer somewhere like at an animal rescue centre or even at a non-profit agency in another country.”

Philip, who is also a teacher, says he has had life changing experiences by going to various African countries once a year and supporting teachers at various schools, teaching people to grow their own sustainable vegetable gardens and even building a soccer field in a village in Zimbabwe.

“On a separate holiday, I went down to Cape Town for four weeks and even though I didn’t need the money, I got a job at a coffee shop at the harbour. I was in the hub of where everything happened and the work gave me a deeper insight to how people lived there and also allowed me to make new friends and interact with people which I normally won’t.”