4 Keys for Good Mental Health as an Expat
“You’ve survived a lot, and you’ll survive whatever is coming.” – Robert Tew
There is absolutely no questioning that moving abroad changes you as a person.
Whatever the motives may be, the experience is incredibly enriching.
However, it’s important to be transparent and acknowledge that the expat experience is not all roses.
The expat experience is a rollercoaster. As much as there are highs, there are also many lows. Which makes it more than imperative to keep your mental health in check.
I’ve had multiple bouts with poor mental health throughout my years as an expat – there are a number of ways that you can establish that expat zen, but these four in particular stand out among the rest, that I gather from my own experience:
1. Set realistic expectations
Better yet, don’t set any expectations.
Most of our problems come from the expectations that we set – about places, about things, about people.
Things inevitably go wrong in life. When you’re an expat, it’s often amplified tenfold.
If you are the type of person to set clear expectations anyways, make sure that they’re realistic.
You’re not gonna have a group of best friends in one month. Your colleagues make not like you (or you may not like them).
It may take a while before you really get to know the city, and ultimately feel comfortable living there.
You’ve taken on an experience that is not as common as you may think. Be kind to yourself, take a breather. Be grateful for what you’ve done and what you’ll do moving forward.
2. Your support system is everything
The first few months in a new city can, and often, will be extremely lonely.
It’s crucial to maintain a strong support system.
Keep in touch regularly with your loved ones back home (wherever home is for you). Maintain contact with your good friends.
When trying to build a strong base in a new place, it’s easier to do so when you’ve got a support system to fall back on when things are not so bright.
We live in a great age in which we can connect to a loved one on the other side of the world in seconds. Distance doesn’t change much in 2023.
None of this has to end after you’ve built a good routine and strong base in your new city. Keep those connections alive, while adding new ones along the way.
Ultimately one of the greatest things about being expat is the connections that you make – the lives you touch, and the lives that touch yours.
3. Connect with your surroundings
Get involved.
They say that life starts when you get out of your comfort zone – and it’s true. You’ve already moved abroad. Major step one is out of the way.
The more time that you spend alone, wrapped up in your own thoughts, thinking about all of the things that you could be doing but inevitably aren’t doing, the worse your mental health will become.
So explore, let your intuition guide you. Do what you feel like doing. Follow what your body is telling you. Take part in activities that you legitimately enjoy.
You’d be surprised how easy it becomes to make connections when that’s no longer your primary focus.
4. Don’t forget who you really are
You’ll be trying new things, learning a new language, adapting your lifestyle – sometimes it’s difficult to remember who you really are when you’re caught up in such a whirlwind of newness.
It’s fundamental to not lose yourself in the process.
Being in a new city / country / continent doesn’t mean that you have to give up on what makes you you.
If the real you is an artist, keep that alive. If you’re an avid reader, or writer, keep that alive. If you play music, keep that alive.
There is no reason to stop being you because you’ve moved somewhere new.
Stay in touch with the real you. That’s the best antidote to the rollercoaster of being an expat.
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