Overcoming loneliness in a new country. Settling into a new country could be an exciting, memorable experience. Still, it could also be a lonely one, mainly if you make a move alone with no one to share the journey with. Sometimes moving into a new country and adjusting to a new culture, and a new way of life could bring a feeling of being out of place and loneliness.
You can prevent this feeling of sadness, loneliness, and nostalgia to escalate into a much more severe and dangerous condition such as depression. Some tips could help to overcome loneliness after moving into a new country. Here are five tips:
GO SLOW, DO NOT PUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON YOURSELF You need to go easy on yourself and do things at a comfortable pace that would allow you to keep it together. You may avoid doing everything at once, just for the sake to be up to date; you are not competing or being in a race. Do prioritize the necessary things you have to do.
Having a to-do list could be very helpful. You may choose to do most tasks for your settlement, regarding for example house decoration, administration, and legal things… and decided to delegate whenever needed.
PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE, DO NOT HIDE You can prevent loneliness in the first place by doing a couple of things. To start with, do not keep yourself to yourself. An easy way is to Go out there and meet people. Do not assume that you do not matter, that no one would be interested in you.
Indeed, you will find someone who does care. It will be beneficial not to wait for people to come to you, go to them when the opportunity comes, show some interest, and engage with people by talking about general topics. But be cautious, do not overdo it.
JOIN A GROUP, A CLASS Joining a class or group is the best way to quickly settle in a new country, meet people, and make friends. It is a great idea to join a group which brings people together with a common interest; this increases the chance to interact with other people and the possibility to develop a friendship. There are classes of languages, classes of exercises, groups of sports, … just about anything.
BE A POSITIVE-THINKING PERSON
Positive thinking mostly affects health in a good way. So, having a positive mind is crucial when settling into a new country, seeing evil everywhere, and embracing any obstacle enthusiastically. It is easy To implement positive thinking, have a good mindset, start using positive words when talking, and always see the right side of any situation. It is a good idea to start your day with positive affirmation, and have positive self-talk. Importantly surround yourself with positive-minded people.
CONNECT WITH OTHER EX-PATS
It could be advantageous to connect with other ex-pats. There are several resources where you can reach out. You connect in different ways. You can connect with other people through blogs, forums, and social networks like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, … or you can also check locally for ex-pats groups. If you are unable to do that, you can create an online group on social media. For inspiration, you can create something around your passion, or hobby.
CONCLUSION
Overcoming loneliness in a new country. There are many ways to prevent loneliness when settling into a new country including going slow, not putting too much pressure on yourself, putting yourself out there, do not hide, joining a group or class; being a positive-thinking person; connecting with other ex-pats. Do you know other tips? Please share in the comments section.
