Living outside your home country and often starting over requires a lot of our mental health and the individual attributes that we add as cooperation tools.

Expatriates experience the loneliness of bodies, the absence of the usual smells and the lack of what is known to us and puts us in the comfort zone. Nostalgia and absences can be important aggravating factors for illness and suicidal intent.

Here, for those who leave the country, the Psychological/emotional preparation is as important as the other preparations for those who want to make a change for cultural exchange or change of country in general. Knowing and being aware of your emotional world is extremely important in this journey. Many people are so excited about the changes they are going to face that they forget about emotional preparation as one of the priorities, we must remember that we need to prepare for the challenges, elicit the self knowledge to be able to deal with and elaborate the feeling of freedom, challenges, longing etc that this experience will bring to the surface of the experience.

Dealing with change and the adaptation phase is part of the process and each one deals in a unique way, try to see the good side of the situation and enjoy the new. Feeling afraid and thinking about giving up is normal, it's part of this movement of dealing with what is causing us anxiety and discomfort. Giving up also comes when we are not finding motivation and we don't have enough stimuli along the way.

It is here that we then need to stop and calmly analyze the situation, punctuate and weigh 'why to give up or continue', what are the pros and cons of this search or construction. This self-assessment of those who immigrate is very important because here the subject can face psychic illnesses if he does not stop to evaluate his journey in a distant country.

Don't be afraid to stop for a while and look at the total situation, allow yourself to choose to go back when you want, or even, make new choices and redirect the initial plan, pauses to align thoughts are as productive as walking.. When you think When giving up, look inside, take into account the emotional delivery that this process is asking for, be aware of your limits and then ask yourself what is your biggest reason, the main reason you are looking for with this change, always validate your purposes.

Abroad, in order to reduce this feeling of loneliness and non-belonging that hits us many times, we also need to put our stamp on this present place. Experience the local culture, food, enjoy the stories of the people you will meet etc. Use the past and your experiences to adjust your current moment and not to get stuck in thoughts of what you left behind, produce with this experience of your present moment a productive future based on the full and possible experience of the present. If you don't enjoy your present moment 'the now' the result will be anxiety and frustration which brings emotional illness and with it more extreme tendencies.

Don't focus on the thoughts of a past that you can't change or miss, or a future that hasn't even arrived but is already living on your projections and not taking advantage of your unique experience abroad, everything had or will have its moment but you need to live and take advantage of the now for this reasoning to have validation.

Missing is feeling that emptiness that distance or absence produces, nostalgia is the presence of absence. Then try to soften and reduce this longing. Ask yourself: what can I do to reduce this longing? Look for alternatives to deal with it effectively.

How: start by identifying your feelings and meeting your emotional needs, contact relatives through technology, letters, whatever is most comfortable for you, contact friends, distract yourself with constructive activities. keep in touch with the people, things and situations you miss, create small comfort zones for yourself in your new home (temporary or not).

In the end, homesickness ends up proving to ourselves what really matters in our life, listen, speak up when needed, and if it becomes too difficult to deal with, look for a professional to help you.

If you plan well, planning is the key to having a good experience abroad. Validate your change very conscientiously, don't lie to yourself in any part of your planning. Ex: if you are coming to take a break, to rethink the directions of life, to travel, to meet new people and culture, etc. acting, you need to learn to respect your moments. This false purpose can become a great enemy in your future life abroad, it can cause emotional suffering such as stress, anxiety, regret and, in extreme cases, even depression.

Leaving your country of origin needs to have solid and realistic foundations for you.

Don't cover yourself too much and don't compare yourself with the people you meet abroad, each one has a different background and a different emotional structure, come thinking that it will be an investment in personal growth and you will be the driver of this journey.

Repeat all steps as and when necessary!

Immigrating is a daily reconstruction.

If you find yourself like this in any of these contexts or in general, seek help.

If you know someone who is going through this, listen, welcome in the first instance and then calmly and empathize with them, guide them to seek qualified help.


Caroene Santos Murray