Embracing Change: How to Overcome Doubts and Thrive When Moving Abroad
All of the advice we wish we could have told our younger selves...
It doesn’t matter how prepared you are to move overseas — doubts, worries and anxieties will inevitably creep in. These can come from your family, your friends, or your own overactive imagination. While it’s good to be prepared and focused on the exciting things that are coming, often the best thing you can do is to just lean into the difficult emotions, and embrace the fact that you can’t control everything…and that’s okay. It’s something everyone has to learn the hard way, but hopefully we can make it a little easier for you! Here, we’ve included five lessons we wish we could have told our younger selves, when we were in the thick of the stressful moving process:
Lean on your family and friends, but don’t let their worries deter you. The decision to move abroad isn’t an easy one to make, and it’s one your loved ones might question. If your family express doubts or concerns, instead of letting their uncertainty fuel your own worries, remind them that you’re going to be okay. Communicate with them what it is you want and exactly why you’re making this decision. Hold them tight and let them help you! Communicate your needs to them, because this is a new experience for them as well. Like you, they don’t know what’s coming, but let them know that above all, you just need them to be there for you.
Don’t let your worries drown you. Create a plan that will work, with a set timeline to get things done and some backup options…but be open to other options and opportunities. Don’t be scared if there are some unknowns—the blank spaces are where adventure happens. You don’t need to be anxious, you just need to be open-minded, sensible and see where this exciting choice takes you.
Focus on the amazing adventures that are coming! If there’s one thing we wish we could tell our younger selves, it’s that beyond all the worries of finding jobs and a place to live, there are some incredible adventures just waiting to happen! Your life will pick up at a crazy pace, but it will be so, so worth it.
Let your emotions have free rein. Moving abroad can bring up difficult feelings. It’s a huge identity and lifestyle shift, and with that comes a lot of self-reflection. People move for many different reasons, and often it can be tempting to believe that stepping on a plane will leave all of your anxieties and fears behind. Unfortunately, moving abroad doesn’t make your problems magically disappear, and often, past pain will get brought up again tenfold. But even though it’s easy to get caught in survival mode of finding accommodation, looking for jobs, exploring a new city, etc. it’s so important not to bottle up your emotions. Let them come, and don’t be afraid to face them. They’re coming up for a reason. Likewise, don’t feel guilty if you’re not feeling grateful or joyful or excited all the time. Stepping into a new life does not mean erasing everything you have already lived through. But sometimes a fresh start is exactly what you need to heal.
Be brave, go with your gut, and lean into making mistakes. Mistakes are just stepping stones to becoming a better version of yourself, and to finding your place in the world. Don’t dwell on them, just learn from them and take them in your stride.
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