Confidence skills to stay safe when travelling alone

Confidence skills are vital if you want to travel the world. Confidence skills are even more important if you want to travel the world alone.

Many women dream of travel. They want to see new places, visit exotic countries and enjoy the adventures, joys and excitement travel can bring. However, being able to do this alone can require really good confidence skills.

For example, a recent confidence course participant, Marie, wanted to travel and asked to hear Helena's story. Helena is a Greek South African now living in Australia. She spent up to ten years travelling the world, often on her own.

Marie also wanted to travel alone, but because she was older she didn’t feel good enough about herself doing this and her confidence and courage was fading.

What could she do to have more confidence skills and feel better about herself as a lone, older traveller?

She thought she'd be a misfit amongst all the young backpackers. She didn't want to stand out and be noticed for her age.

The group immediately started giving positive feedback on the advantages of travelling when you’re older. You have greater life experience, you’re less likely to take silly risks, and you have the maturity to meet difficult challenges.

There was a glimmer of optimism developing on her face as she listened to this.

"How did Helena do it though?" she asked. "I don't feel capable of coping with everything. What about all the security issues of a lone woman in a foreign city and culture?"

"Take some practical precautions", I suggested, "just like Helena did. She had a very specific strategy that kept her and her self-confidence alive. What's more, despite all the travel warnings for many of the lesser known, out of the way countries she travelled to, she found herself in most danger in the streets of Edinburgh!"

The women laughed. "She was followed there late at night by a man when she was walking home from her workplace. She managed to escape by using her two secret confidence strategies."

If you want to feel up to travelling alone it may help you feel better if you get more practical confidence skills first. Don’t just sit at home watching all the travel programmes on TV hoping you will feel better about yourself and your prospects. Do something active to feel secure and take care of the security issues.

For instance, one client I worked with had a lifelong dream to travel to France. However, she felt not only excited but also scared at the same time. Having these two emotions concurrently left her feeling stuck and emotionally paralysed. This resulted in her continually putting off her travels and lacking in confidence.

We drew up a plan to overcome her fears and reduce her self-doubts. It included a number of very specific practical strategies to keep her safe in dangerous situations and to give her the confidence skills she needed.

The major component of this was her decision to attend a course on self-defence for women. It ran over a number of weeks and covered a range of skills and situations. She knew once she'd done the course that she’d be physically able and confident enough to deal with potential threats. This alone was instrumental in raising her self-confidence.

With Helena it was even simpler. She had three key tactics. First, she read the travel warnings for the countries she was visiting and checked with locals when she arrived.

Second, she learnt where all the Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) were in any city or town she visited. Why? Because she knew there would be video surveillance with them. She knew if she was attacked it would be videoed. There was also a decent chance that any potential attacker would know about the video camera and back off.

The top secret tactic was even simpler. It was something she took with her wherever she went. What was it? A whistle. She always carried a whistle around her neck.

She had to blow it loudly on a number of occasions including in Edinburgh. She said it saved her from attack.

On hearing about the whistle, Marie realised her confidence skills could be boosted by knowing she had some strategies to outsmart potential predators. It also helped her to know she would be better prepared than some of the younger travellers.

Now it won't be long before her dreams of world travel become her reality.

What confidence skills do you need so you can realise your travel dreams?

Written by Rachel Green.  Professional Speaker | Trainer | Coach | Author.

Rachel is the author of the 2CD set: "Confidence for women in social situations". Helena tells more of her story on there. She travelled the world alone for 10 years.  Click here to get your copy.

Rachel also has an entertaining, educational and expert speech: "Sparkling with confidence". Book her for your next event now: rachel@confident-woman.com.au

Copyright Confident Woman Australia, 2010.
NB: The information contained in this article is not provided as an alternative to obtaining professional advice from an appropriately qualified practitioner.