This guest post was written by Skirmante.
Nobody said that going through life’s changes such as moving to another country or city is ‘a walk in the park’. And yet, a fresh move offers a fresh start. You have a clean slate to start your life from scratch. In most cases, relocation is an enjoyable and exciting process, but sometimes it might also get a little tricky.
To make your transition smoother, here are a few easy tips that will help during your move:
1. Do your homework beforehand and learn as much as you can about your next destination, including culture and customs. Keep in mind two things: stay friendly and polite and you will have no problem fitting in and making plenty of friends in any city.
2. When moving to a new place, get out and explore as much as you can. The more you know your way around, the more confident you will be. If you cannot explore physically, Google Maps is a no-brainer tool for that.
3. During your first weeks, try to listen more than talk. It will help you understand which culture prevails in an environment, as well as what is accepted and what should be avoided.
4. An interesting fact is that people respond better to others who speak at the same volume as themselves. Do not forget that your vocal volume is something that you can control and adjust to being heard.
5. Take every chance to get involved in different activities with different people. To meet like-minded people, use Meetup to see what activities are taking place locally, or see what expat forums on Facebook have to offer.
6. Having too many little things that you are emotionally attached to, and that are reminders of your home is not necessarily a good idea. This might slow down your intention of moving forward with your life in a new place.
Instead, a little something that has the power to inflict positive emotions and remind you of heart-warming memories can be helpful during the transition period.
7. Staying in touch with your family and friends back home is a big emotional help as well. Make an effort to maintain contact with your loved ones.
It’s not only about them being your support network but also about you showing them how much you care. The distance doesn’t have to affect your connection negatively.
8. And, most importantly, be patient with yourself. There’s no need to rush if you need time to process your emotions. Aim to be present and mindful about your feelings and thoughts.
Bio: Meet Skirmante, the contributing writer of our self-development section. She’s been curious about the wonders of the mind and subjects such as psychology for as long as she can remember. Naturally, among her achievements, there’s a diploma of Psychology and Counselling with a particular focus on helping foreign people get through various significant changes. She can help you with the process of moving to another country, changing jobs, becoming a parent, or anything in between. Have similar questions? Get in touch with Skirmante here.
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