How to Stay Sane while Living Abroad

I've spent long periods of time abroad like several months studying or working in the UK, an academic year in Ireland or the year I spent working as an au-pair in the USA. I went to all those places on my own. Any expat living abroad goes through ups and downs. Those "down" times are specially hard when you are alone. You become more sensitive and anything can affect you much more than in normal circumstances.

The focus of today's post is psychology. October 10 was World Mental Health Day which tries to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world so I thought it would be a good idea to talk about this topic since it is very related to living abroad.

I've always been interested in the topic of mental health. I love psychoanalising and I can always find a reason to justify certain behaviors. Working as teacher I see how teenagers deal with emotions and how the situations they live at home or with their peers affect their development. In the same way, experiences we live abroad shape our behaviour and affect our mental health.

So what can you do to cut the stress out of life while abroad?

Create a support team
You may have moved abroad alone but chances are you are not the only one there. Find people in the same situation, do things together like getting coffee or visiting places and talk a lot. Share your experiencies, your thoughts, hopes and fears. It's the cheapest and most rewarding therapy you can get.

Do all your favorite things
Indulge on guilty pleasures. It feels great to do the kind of things we’d normally do at home. Something as simple as watching your favorite TV show can help you unwind and make you feel better.

Remember why you moved abroad
Was it to learn a language? To live new experiences? To see the world? To pursue your dream job? To be with the person you love? Always keep in mind what motivated you to take the plunge and how excited you were when you made the choice.

Phone Home
Long live Skype. It will be your best friend abroad. Hearing someone's voice can be so comforting.

There's an app for that
I'm not a big fan of cell phones -I could lose mine and not realize until a day later...- and I hate how they've taken over our lives but I admit they are really useful. Last week I read about this app called Calm which helps you lower your stress, anxiety and improves your sleep. The app is all about meditation and soothing music and teaches the "basics of mindfulness" through audio programs which feature a narrator over relaxing images. I'm usually pretty skeptical about these things but I decided to give it a try and after listening to the first audio I realized how useful this could also be for those living abroad.
The app's initial programs are free, but additional programs targeting stress, anxiety, self-esteem, happiness and gratitude are only available on a subscription.

Think about all the amazing things your new home has to offer
Is it the food that you love the most, or maybe the landscapes or the people? When you move abroad you always compare your home country to your new one. Focus on those thing that make your new home so amazing.

Stay positive
Can you train yourself to swap negative thoughts for positive? A friend told me recently that it can be done and I decided to accept the challenge. It's incredibly hard when you are having a sh**y day but I've realized that just trying to do it improves your day.

Stop the stigma against mental health issues
Why is it so hard to talk about mental health? Because we are afraid of being judged by others. I hope one day sociaety will realize that we aren’t superhuman and it's ok to ask for help.

Moving overseas is a big decision. Time abroad will be difficult, but it will also be highly rewarding. Be patient and keep a positive mind and you'll succeed.

More on this topic:
Traveling as an introvert
How to deal with culture shock
My experience traveling solo
How to survive Christmas abroad
Being an au-pair

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