Living abroad is one of the most enriching, challenging and exciting adventures we can have in life. It is an open door to new opportunities, to experience life from another perspective, to learn new languages and interact with all kinds of people, to get to know each other better and discover everything we are capable of doing; However, in the expat world, not everything is rosy.
It is inevitable not to live one of those days when the world is closing in on us, we miss our families and friends and we feel that a part of us does not quite fit in this new place. But this feeling is completely normal and, to some extent, part of this roller coaster of emotions that living abroad implies.
The question here would be,what can we do to make our life abroad work? How to make the change a little easier and feel happy and comfortable with the decision we have made?
Here are useful habits for living a happier life abroad
- Choose Very Well The People You Surround Yourself With
When you live abroad, your friends become the family you choose. So choose it well. Start healthy friendships that help you think positively and become a support for you. People who bring you closer to a better version of yourself. Because, on the contrary, if you start surrounding yourself with the type of people who have a problem for every solution or with people who are also bored with life, you will enter a loop and attract more of the same.
- Open up to meet other expats, but also local people
Human beings need to socialize with others, no matter how introverted we are. We absolutely all need to belong to a group, especially when we are new to something, such as when we live abroad. Be open to striking up conversations with local people.
For example, with your neighbors or coworkers, and take a genuine interest in their life. That will bring you much closer to their culture and make it much easier for you to integrate and understand the why of many things. Also look for a community of expats like you with whom you can talk and laugh about all those things you have in common, provide support and help each other.
- Practice The Language Of The Country In Which You Live
The best way to integrate into the new culture in which you live and make your life easier and happier is to speak the same language. Strive to learn it from the first moment. Languages are the gateway to another culture and will make your life easier to find work, friends and communicate with others in your daily life.
- Be patient
Changes take time. Nothing happens overnight. We want to find a job fast, have a lot of friends and have everything flow instantly, but adjusting to a new place takes time.
- You have to be patient and have realistic expectations
If you want to have better job opportunities, start by improving your language and better preparing your motivation letter, CV or LinkedIn profile. If you want to meet new people, join Meetup groups or activities that you like, such as yoga or dance classes. If you want to feel better in the place you live, explore it and live in the present. It is important that you remember that everything is a process.
- Don’t Take Anything Personal And Don’t Assume Anything
Again we talk about acceptance. When you live in another country, you have to start from the fact that there will be things that are done differently. And no, this does not imply that you necessarily have to stop being yourself to “fit in”, but you also do not have to live fighting with those differences or believe that the world is conspiring against you.
Appreciate and be grateful for all the teachings and situations that your new environment gives you. And instead of wanting things done your way, ask yourself what can I offer of myself in this new environment?
- Recognize yourself and embrace the change
Here we talk about two things. First, to recognize who you are, the skills you have and all the talents that traveled with you; but also dare to explore parts of yourself that you did not know and that are ready to begin to emerge in this new culture.After all, they say that you are never the same person who takes the plane to the unknown.
- Take care of yourself
You are the most important person in your life! Sleep well, eat well, exercise and look for spaces to get in touch with all the activities you like. Self-care is precisely one of the first things we put aside when we start living abroad, but it is super important for our body and mind to work in our favor and continue generating endorphins – the happiness hormones. Although it is different for each person, it is important that you find your balance point between your personal life and your career.
- Do you want a happier life abroad? Then Act
Leave the complaint and take action. To get results and live the life we want, you have to make things happen. Be responsible and learn to express, ask for, and even demand, what you need. Know that with every action you take, you are on the right track to achieve your goals. Emigrating is the golden opportunity to realize that it is you, and no one else but you, who creates your life, your results and your happiness.
- Have a plan with clear goals
It is good to have a roadmap that keeps us motivated and with our goals in mind. So make a list of your main goals and create an action plan to get closer to them. Achieving them will not only make you feel happier but also more confident and secure.
- Talk About Your Problems
Don’t keep your problems to yourself, talk about them. When we live abroad and we are going through difficult situations, it is necessary to ask for help. Finding a person who helps us see things with different eyes, return to our center, redefine our goals and create an action plan to achieve them. And what better than a person who has experienced and overcome the same as you.
Remember, happiness is in your hands!
