Needless to say, moving to a new country may be a super stressful experience. There are however a few things you can do to save yourself from going crazy. Be proactive, prepared, and remember that you are in control. Without further ado, here is a list of simple things you can do to help you stay focused and positive.
1. Do some physical activity every day
Especially, if your work consists mainly of sitting in front of the computer. Running all day around the city to sort out your affairs, does not count however. It has to be enjoyable physical activity, something that will take your mind off your work and your relocation. You can sign up for a sport you always wanted to try, or the sport your new country is famous for. If you don’t want to spend any money, let it be a daily walk around your neighbourhood or a run. Exercise also helps in easing the negative effects of jet lag and travel fatigue.
2. Eat regularly and well
This is a hard one, as relocation may put eating in general, out of a priority list. Therefore, make a conscious effort to make eating happen at regular intervals. Also, pay attention to what you are putting in your mouth. You do not need a diarrhoea to spice up your days in a new country. Make a conscious effort to eat well, especially if you have food intolerances or allergies.
3. Organise yourself
Make a list of things you have to do, especially the ones with a deadline. Plan each day to get the most things done in an optimal way. If you have to travel somewhere, check what else you could do while you are there. Try to wake up at the same time everyday and establish daily routine. With relocation, life will get crazy, so try to minimize an overwhelming chaos by having some kind of structure. Keeping your personal things, especially documents, in order is a great idea too. There is nothing more anxiety provoking than trying to desperately find an important document in a pile of papers on the floor in a corner of your AirBnB room.
4. Try new things – keep the relocation exciting
As soon as you feel settled and safe enough, go explore new places, new food, and also well-known tourist attractions. You don’t need to spend much money. Especially in the first few weeks, just wondering around your neighbourhood, will give you a sense of discovery. After five months in Tokyo, we are still discovering new shops, restaurants etc. in our closest neighbourhood (mainly because our Japanese reading abilities progress so slowly…). Having adventures is partly a reason for a relocation, isn’t it? Don’t let mistakes you make along the way, scare you. People are usually quite forgiving, so there is no need to deprive yourself of thrill of an adventure out of fear of behaving in a culturally inappropriate manner. You will be laughing about any mistakes you make, sooner than you think. Plus, all mistakes are usually great lessons.
5. Meet with people regularly
People are social creatures, even introverts, so chances are that you too may need some social interaction to feel well. If you don’t know anyone, try to spend a portion of your day outside, where you have a real chance of interacting with people. This week we have accidentally met a girl from Poland, who set by us in a Starbucks. She heard us speaking in Polish and said hello. Meeting new people as an adult is harder, but not impossible.
6. Keep in touch with family and friends from your country
Whether you are busy and excited about your relocation, or stressed and lost in a new place, having a support in people who know you best is priceless. Since you are the one who left, it’s only fair to say that keeping in touch is your responsibility. Lack of family and friends will likely be the biggest reason of feeling home-sick. Try to cultivate these relationships, it will help to keep you grounded and you may find it easier to manage your mood.
7. Remind yourself often “why I did it in the first place?”
You probably had a valid reason to move to another country, whether it was a necessity or a dream. Remind yourself why you did it every time you feel overwhelmed, exhausted or home-sick. Bad days would have happened even if you would never move, this is part of life. You have decided at some point that relocation is your best option, so try to take a full advantage of it.
I hope you’ve found this helpful. We all know we should take some care of ourselves to stay “sane”, but big endeavours like relocation will put extra weight on our shoulders. That’s why it’s immensely important to take even better care of yourself during those stressful times. What other tips you would have? Leave a comment below.