My Story

There was a time when I dreaded going on hikes. In my 20s, my boyfriend at the time loved to hike with his dog. He would take me on trails and I remember having so much fear.  I would fear that the rocks would be too treacherous or the incline would be too steep. I was terrified of falling and breaking my leg. I even refused to proceed on the trail and had to turn around multiple times. I remember approaching tiny streams and having to plan a way across for an embarrassing amount of time. I was frequently passed on the trail by small children in crocs. It felt so defeating. I was so scared. I was scared of falling, or snagging my leggings or even getting my socks wet. I lacked confidence. I couldn’t trust myself. I couldn’t rely on myself to do it. I didn’t have what it took to complete a trail, even the easy ones. I would leave the trail feeling so miserable and worthless. 

That feeling of worthlessness didn’t only show up on the trail. It was a theme in my life at the time.  I frequently felt that I couldn’t trust myself. I felt like I couldn’t do anything right and I was useless. I had no self confidence. I would talk down to myself. I always thought everyone was better than me, in every way. I would be overly critical of myself. I made poor choices and I let other people talk me into things. My lack of confidence was taking a toll on my life.

I finally told myself that I needed to make some changes. I made it a point to improve my life. I started treating myself better. I got more exercise and started eating better. I started doing things that used to make me happy as a child. 

I remember going on hikes as a kid. My Mom, my sister and I spent as much time outside as possible. We hiked, kayaked, played at the park, you name it. I loved digging in the dirt and admiring beautiful wildflowers. I loved picking out my favorite rocks and trying to bring them home. I loved the challenge of long hikes and how great I felt afterward. I wanted to get that feeling back. 

I began spending more time outside again. I started earmarking trails that I had wanted to do. Some of them were hard and some were easy. I started tackling my list in January of 2021. My first big trail was Sugarloaf Mountain in Dickerson, Maryland. The trail was about 7 miles and it was really hard at certain places. The incline up to the overlook was killing me. I’ll never forget stepping out onto the overlook and looking at the towns below. When I got to the top, it wasn’t just that mountain I had climbed, I had been climbing for years. I was crawling and scraping my way to a better life. And I could feel in that moment that I was getting closer.

10 ways hiking has improved my self-confidence

Since then I have been outside as much as possible. With each hike I complete, I am gaining more self confidence. I’ve learned to trust myself and that I can rely on myself. That feeling of self reliance has ripped out into all aspects of my life. I would love to share with you the 10 ways that hiking has helped me gain self confidence. 

Spending Time by Myself

The relationship I have with myself is the most important one in my entire life. Like any relationship, this one needed to be nurtured and enriched. Having time alone was necessary to develop that relationship. When I’m hiking, it’s usually just me and the trees. I have no one to talk to, and I’ve come to prefer it that way.  It gives me so much time to think. I think about how I’m feeling, and why I’m feeling that way. It helps with creativity, or making a big decision. It helps with simply getting to know myself. What makes me happy, or sad. It gives me the space to determine my opinions on things, without the influence of others. Time alone can be very meaningful. 

Practicing Self-Talk

Being on the trail with my thoughts gives me ample time to practice self-talk. Internal dialogue, talking to yourself, intrapersonal communication- it all refers to the way you speak to yourself. It’s important to note what words I use, or my tone. I try to encourage myself, and not belittle. I want my inner voice to be a friend, not a critic. Please read this article, which goes into more depth on this topic- The Importance of Self-Talk.

Taking Risks

On the trail and in life, I can’t always take the easy way. In my experience, the hard way has turned out to be the most rewarding. The feeling of overcoming odds or accomplishing something I didn’t think I could do is a huge boost in confidence. I have found so much courage in myself when I know I need it. When I push myself, I’m always impressed. That leads me to my next point. 

Impressing Myself

I have learned that if I want to be impressed, look back. I’m always looking to the next goal, or milestone, but I sometimes forget to take a look at everything behind me. When I take things one step at a time, at that moment, I don’t realize how much I’ve accomplished. The small steps really add up to something impressive after a while. My self doubt gets shoved to the side and I can say to myself, wow I’ve done this! It gives me a sense of pride to turn around and see how far I’ve come. It’s important to take a moment to celebrate. 

Celebrating my Wins

There are a lot of ups and downs in hiking (pun intended). Big and small, there are so many things to celebrate on the trail. There are big wins like making it to the overlook. But there are also small wins, like taking a risky step and not twisting my ankle. There are also times that aren’t wins at all, but things that I have had to endure like unpredictable weather, irritating bugs, or a crowded trail. Even when things suck, I still like to appreciate them. Having the mindset to celebrate the wins stays with me long after I leave the trail. This is a behavior that has drastically improved my confidence. 

Setting Realistic Goals

I don’t hike for speed, or to lose calories. I hike to calm my mind, and to boost my confidence. Hiking provides the perfect goal-crushing landscape. My goal is always to just make it to the top, then back down. Easy. Well, it’s not always easy. But the goal is specific and measurable. If I follow the path, I will get there. I can rely on myself to get myself there. Every time I complete a hike, I gain more confidence in myself. 

Decision Making

When I’m hiking, especially when I’m solo hiking, I need to be able to work out problems on my own. I need to be able to make quick decisions and to figure out problems. I’m put into situations sometimes where I need to solve problems. Things can get really dangerous on the trail if I can’t make quick decisions. I’ve been flexing my decision making muscles on the trail and it has improved my confidence in all aspects of my life. I feel like I can trust myself to make decisions. That is huge. The skills of problem solving are so valuable. Working out problems on your own is a marvelous confidence builder. 

Physical Activity

Speaking of flexing muscles, the most obvious reason that hiking can boost self confidence is physical activity. We all know there’s tons of information out there saying that using your body and flexing your muscles improves your mental wellbeing and self confidence. Losing weight, toning muscles or even gaining endorphins from working out can make you feel strong long after leaving the trail. 

Preparedness/ Trust

One of the things I like about hiking is I have to be prepared. It’s necessary to know the trail, the weather forecast, the trail conditions, what to bring, what to wear. I’ve really improved my preparedness skills by hiking. I have noticed these skills have improved many aspects of my life, not just hiking. When I know how to prepare for anything, I know I can rely on myself. The feeling of being self reliant is incomparable. This is something I really lacked before. I never felt like I could rely on myself.  Now that I have improved these skills, the feeling of self trust has stuck with me. 

Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

This might be the most important skill I’ve gained. I’ve learned to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Being comfortable with discomfort is a super power. It has set me free. Hiking conditions aren’t always the most comfortable. The wilderness can be cold, buggy, humid, or rainy. My feet may be hurting or my back may be sore. But I know I will be okay. The feeling of discomfort will pass. I will be stronger and more confident when it is over. 

Conclusion

Hiking has helped me grow as a human. I’ve grown emotionally, physically and mentally. I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and that’s where my happiness has been hiding. I can trust myself to get through tough times. I can rely on myself to be prepared. I can appreciate my accomplishments. I know when to push myself, and when to take it easy. I’ve gained self confidence that has rippled through all aspects of my life. I can see why I loved hiking as a kid. I’m so grateful I’ve made that little girl in me happy again.