Living abroad can be an enriching and once in a lifetime experience. But with the excitement, there are defiantly some challenges that you might face. Some resources will prepare you for difficult times. One of them is resilience. I will explain what resilience is, why it’s essential, and how it can be traines and improved in your life, wherever you are. Living abroad with resilience is the way to live the expat life you want!
What is resilience?
It can be defined as having the ability to withstand and recover from the challenges you face. Being a resilient person doesn’t mean that not running into hardships or trauma, but instead, you can bounce back from them.
Characteristics of a resilient person.
Everyone has some level of resilience within them, but the amount and strength vary from person to person.
Resilient people are aware and comfortable with their emotions and have a strong sense of self. Trusting yourself and knowing that you will make it through difficult situations is crucial for being resilient, also understanding the importance of remaining calm in situations that might be stressful or burdensome.
Resilient people do not worry about why bad things might happen to them, but they work on moving past them. They can take the “lesson” out of hardships and use them to navigate future problems in life.
Why it’s important to work on your resilience living abroad?
As I mentioned earlier, living abroad comes with many beautiful experiences, but it certainly has its challenges. It means having to deal with being away from loved ones, spending holidays apart, living in a new culture and location, and homesick feelings that may arise.
Being a resilient person allows you to get through these hardships without having them affect or ruin your expat experience. I’m not saying it will be easy, but if you can face situations with resilience, you will be able to get through stressful times and come out stronger on the other side.
6 Steps for Living Abroad with Resilience
If you are worried that you won’t be resilient enough living abroad – fear not! I will give you a few of my favorite tips to not just surviving living abroad but thriving in the process.
1.- Get to know yourself.
Getting to know yourself is the first step in improving any aspect of yourself. It can be helpful if you work with a therapist or a coach to discover the parts of yourself that you would like to work on. Even a few times a month can be incredibly helpful for developing your resilience.
You can work on what areas of resilience you already possess and which ones you would like to strengthen. The great thing about working with someone one on one is they can help you in your specific situation living abroad.
2.- Work on your self-worth
Improving your relationship with yourself and how you view yourself is a great way to strengthen your resilience. This will also help you be more independent, which will help you discover your new home abroad.
Being gentle with yourself and understanding that living abroad will bring challenges can help you get through them more efficiently. If you are always hard on yourself, you will have a more difficult time navigating these inevitable hardships.
3.- Affirmations
You can try listening to affirmations or reading through them each day. You can create affirmations that are specifically related to living abroad. For example, you can remind yourself that you are fully capable of living abroad and handling challenges. Repeating this to yourself daily can be extremely helpful.
4.- Be proactive
When you are living abroad, approaching your worries head-on can be helpful. We all know that when we avoid situations, it only makes the situation and our anxiety worse.
When you notice something is wrong in your life abroad, you could start to explore how you can improve your situation. You can try journaling about whatever challenge you face, which will help you understand it and the best approach.
5.- Talk about it
Even if you are far away from your friends and family while experiencing life abroad, you can still find ways to connect with them. You can video chat, plan phone calls, email, or even write letters to each other.
All of these can be helpful when you are going through difficult situations. Your friends a family can bring a sense of comfort that will help you strengthen your resilience while living far away.
6.- Invest in my program, “Your Journey to Expat Resilience.”
Want to feel confident and happy wherever you are?
I designed this program to build your resilience in a comfortable, fun, and sustainable way, approaching the different aspects we need to reinforce while experiencing life abroad or any significant life transition.
Becoming a resilient person is a lifelong journey. It’s essential to be patient with yourself in the process. Living abroad in a new place can be extremely scary, stressful, and all-around overwhelming. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be worth it.
Leaning on your resilience and the support of loved ones will help you have the best experience possible while abroad. The great thing about working on your resilience is that it is a skill that you will use in all situations for the rest of your life. Hard times help build your resilience, and resilience enables you to get through difficult times.
Life abroad is waiting for you, and you are strong enough to handle whatever comes your way in the process.
Don’t worry; I’m here to support you. You have all of the tools within to get through this emotionally strenuous time. Let’s uncovered them together.
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Still not sure about making the next move? Read the testimonials of my clients living the life abroad they want!
By your side,
Gabriela
Gabriela Encina is an online psychologist specialized in expat women and supports them with the guidance and tools they need to feel confident, make the best decisions for their lives, build and maintain meaningful relationships and prioritize their well-being.
Her approach is practical, solution-oriented and focused on the present.
Gabriela offers counseling to expat women in Spanish, English and German.
