Finding Your Own Space in the Crowded Places of the World: Tips for Baby Boomers and Seniors

Do you panic when you need some space? Some people do, particularly baby boomers and seniors, as everyone needs his or her own space, at times. The question becomes one of how to find your own space in the crowded places of the world. 

Finding one’s own personal space is a concern that is as old as history, as people have always sought to find their own space in the crowded places of the world or away from them.  

Some people instinctively need more space than others do, particularly when it comes to crowded places. The problem of finding personal space is growing, because the number of crowded places is rapidly increasing, along with the growing population of the world. 

Perhaps you are a person who can come and go from any kind of a crowded place and feel comfortable regardless of where you are. If so, you are fortunate, as not everyone is able to do that. On the other hand, you may be a person who instinctively avoids crowded places and may not understand why you instinctively seek an isolated spot in crowded places.   

Altitude, heat and humidity are factors that you may not pay much attention to or be aware of when you are travelling. If the oxygen level in a crowded area is similar to that to which you are accustomed, you may be comfortable in a crowded area, regardless of how many others there are around you. If not, you will probably seek to move into a more isolated or secluded area, where you can relax.

At times, being in a crowded place can trigger symptoms of claustrophobia, similar to those experienced when you feel confined in a small, enclosed space like an elevator or a closet. Panic may ensue if you start to feel too closed in. Maybe you have difficulty breathing, feel dizzy or become fearful. You instinctively know that you have to get out of there and seek to do so immediately.   

Travelers confronted with crowded places at airports, convention centers, restaurants, hotels and market places often need to find places of personal space or solitude, as massive crowds of people can seem to be overwhelming. Maybe the place they are in feels too small for the large number of people who are there.

Finding a space that you can call your own in crowded places when travelling is not always easy.

Crowds can be frustrating, if you are not used to having people milling around you, all of the time. Crowded areas can seem confusing too, particularly when you are in a new or strange area looking for someone or something. In a foreign country, a sea of faces can be frightening, particularly when they are all wearing masks to prevent the spread of infections, like the flu.    

People who travel a lot or who work around large numbers of other employees are less likely to panic in crowded places, but they still need their own space. The size of the space that they need at work or elsewhere varies from a few square feet to a few square yards or more. Not having enough space can trigger negative emotions, like anger.

Fear of people can cause one to avoid large crowds or crowded places. Perhaps it is the noise and the flurry of activity that seems overwhelming. Sometimes, there may be concern related to potential strife, rioting and violence.

At other times, the feelings may include other factors like the fear of fire in a crowded room or the possibility of food poisoning. Foreign markets often have large numbers of people with unusual, nauseating, heavy scents or others smells, like those experienced at a fish, meat or poultry market. Perhaps there are live animals in the vicinity, too.

People with allergies instinctively seek their own space in crowded areas, as allergy symptoms can flare up from heavy perfumes, foreign or strange cooking odors, as well as smoke from cigarettes or other substances. Even smoke from one cigarette can trigger an asthma attack when someone has allergies.       

Perhaps the secret to finding your own space in the crowded places of the world lies within you, whether you are aware of it or not.

“Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul.”  Marcus Aurelius

How you react may not be so much who or what is around you, but how you feel personally. You may be fortunate enough to be able to find a personal space that is only yours, even if it is not very large, where you can meditate, even in a crowded place.

Before travelling, do online research with respect to where you plan to go and what you expect to find in terms of large crowds. Be aware that you may possibly encounter difficulty dealing with large numbers of people in crowded places and decide how you will deal with that in terms of your own space, ahead of time.   

Relaxation techniques, like yogic practices, often prove beneficial to those needing personal space. Finding your own space in crowded places of the world may take a bit of ingenuity on your part, but it is always possible.