Travelling is more than just visiting new places. It is also an essential tool in boosting up your self-esteem and confidence levels. Travel works in miraculous ways when trying to build character, because everything you learn on your trips will be useful in one way or another, once you come back home to your usual life.
These are some of the ways in which travel will help you gain confidence, and the best Sri Lankan experiences that will guide you along your way.
Improve Your Communication Skills:
Travelling to a foreign country comes with a fair share of communication struggles, especially if there’s a language barrier. Don’t be ashamed of your poor language skills, because the locals won’t expect you to be fluent in it. You should be assertive enough to not be taken advantage of, as well as polite enough for people to be willing to help you. No matter how bad you are at small-talk, you need to master the art in order to travel with ease, since strangers will strike conversation with you, and you won’t always be able to shy away from them. This will prepare you for events such as networking, by boosting your people skills.
We’ve listed some essential and useful phrases that would come in handy, on your travels to Sri Lanka.
Ayubowan: This is how Sri Lankans say hello, in traditional and formal settings. Locals would respect you for knowing it, and would appreciate you having learned the greeting. Simply put your hands together on your chest (like when you applaud), bow slightly and smile.
Bohoma Istuti: The Sinhalese term for “thank you”.
Karunakara: Use this term to mean “please”.
Meka Kiyadha?: For those who love to bargain and negotiate, this phrase would be extremely useful. It means “how much is it?”
Mata Terinneh Neh: This simply means, “I don’t understand”. Even if you can’t speak in Sinhalese, say these words and locals would be happy to direct you towards someone who will be able to communicate with you better.
Be Positive:
When you’re in a strange land, there could be times when it doesn’t always fall perfectly into place. This is normal, it’s life. It’s essential that you try not to panic and make the situation worse. Be positive in your ability to get through it. Most travelers and backpackers just wander, looking for new tasks to take on, and they take everything in their stride because it is the lifestyle that they chose for themselves. You will learn that keeping a relaxed and positive mind-set will get you through most hardships when travelling. Incorporate this into your regular life and see how your confidence blossoms. Organize a hike and a camping trip to The Knuckles Mountain Range, to really test your positivity. It will be a physically and mentally challenging task, that will make you grateful for the sunrise (literally).
Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses:
Even the most experienced of travelers aren’t flawless. So, it is important to analyze your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to adventuring. While you should always seek to expand your horizons and step out of your comfort zone, it is important that you don’t try too hard and put yourself in an uncomfortable or dangerous position. The best way to maintain balance in your journeys is pushing yourself to find new limits. Sri Lanka offers a plethora of activities, like surfing, snorkeling, trekking, game drives, wildlife exploring, and cultural experiences. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will help you improve the good, and overcome the struggles in your daily life as well.
Self-Discovery:
Most wanderers have the goal of obtaining a sense of self, and travel with the hopes of soul-searching. Travel is an excellent way to embark on self-discovery, which will then raise your self-esteem and confidence levels. You will learn how to be comfortable in your own skin, fend for yourself, and overcome situations on your adventures, and all of the skills you acquire will help you understand yourself better. It will also help you adapt to difficult situations in your ordinary life. After all, they do say “know thyself” for good reasons.
Photos sourced from Peyman Zehtab Fard, Dronepicr, Bo Jørgensen and Amila Tennakoon.
