How to take care of yourself as an expat

Living an expat life is special. It is especially exciting but sometimes also especially exhausting. When living in another country you face different, more and heavier challenges than back home. May it be the foreign culture, the different climate or the unusual immediate environment – there are a few Energy Thieves (as I call them) that drain a lot of your physical, emotional and mental strength.

But abroad you need your energy more than ever. Only if you look well after yourself, you can be there for others: Your accompanied family, your team, your big project. That´s why, it is so important to take care of yourself. And to do this consciously!

Creating your Expat Self-Care Program

The problem that many expats face is that the conditions they need for their self-care at home are not available in the foreign country. But this is not a big deal. You can find new ways of self-care abroad. With them, you might even get to know closer your guest country. And who knows, maybe you find a new hobby that you don´t want to miss again once you´ve returned home…?

By creating your personal Expat Self-Care Program you can follow a strategy. It´s nothing complex, but simple: Pay attention to keep the balance – balance between activities or techniques that support physical, emotional and mental self-care. By the way, kinesiologists also work at these 3 levels when balancing human energy systems. And BALANCE is the ultimate objective of your Expat Self-Care Program: Keep or re-gain balance between body, soul and mind.

Physical self-care

When dealing with stress – and every expat does this – your body is the first one that shows signs of energy blockades: tense muscles, increasing number of sicknesses, digestion problems – just to mention a few.

Workout

Give your body the chance to get rid of the tension and do some workout! Go for regular runs or a bike rides. Join a sports team, no matter if they play your favorite sport or not. Do yoga or tai chi or any other relaxation exercises.

Your stress is mostly made by your mind. By doing physical activities you can leave your thinking and be more “in your body”. This reduces tension and not least has an energizing effect on your immune system.

Relaxation & sleep

The more stress you face, the more your body needs time to regenerate. Relax consciously. Spend time in nature – if possible. Catch enough sleep. And if you belong to those who live in a country with a wonderful Spa culture, have regular massages or other treatments. By the way, these do not only give your body a treat, but also your soul.

Food

Eat healthy and follow a balanced diet.

Drink enough clear water. Water does not only wash out poisonous substances but ensures also that your brain works well.

And no matter if it is healthy or not: Eat your favorite food if you can get it, because it also feeds your soul.

Be careful with eating spicy food: Many, many expats in Asia are diagnosed with damages of digestion organs like stomach and intestine due to the consumption of too spicy food. And yet, your stomach needs so much energy! From the Kinesiology point of view, the stomach not only digests food, but also “digests” experiences – meaning all challenges that you face in your expat life. Be nice to your stomach, it has to work hard, don´t overburden it.

Emotional self-care

If our emotions are in balance, we feel grounded, strong and able to deal with whatever challenges that come across our expat path. We can control our anger and overcome our fear or sadness. We are able to feel joy and happiness. Sounds wonderful.

How to care for your emotions?

First, keep your body healthy. Only if you feel relaxed and strong, you are able to produce positive emotions and overcome the negative ones.

Socialize – surround yourself with positive people. Spend time with your family. Find friends that have a positive energy. People that make you laugh and you feel comfortable with, that inspire you in some way and that you feel connected to.

Do things that bring you joy – may it be reading a book, cooking or doing arts. Live your passions. Learn something new! Acquire new skills, explore a science or your guest culture. For example, by immersing yourself in the place where you are, you can reduce stress twice: You get satisfaction by learning AND delete stressors that were caused by cultural confusion because you gain a deeper understanding about your environment.

Mental self-care

Your physical and emotional health depends a lot on your thinking. That´s why it is so important to always keep a positive mind – not only abroad but in life in general. The best way to start thinking positively is to get rid of negative thinking (something that most of the people do 85% !!! of their time). Instead of complaining, regretting, grumbling about circumstances that are not ok, point out things that ARE ok.

Start watching your thoughts. Once you catch yourself thinking negative stuff, try to find positive aspects of the same situation. Do that often. Do that at least once at the end of every day! With every thought, your body releases chemical substances that either poison or strengthen your energy system. Imagine, how wonderful you would feel, if the majority of those would carry positive messages!

Give your mind a break. In a time when xillions of thoughts flood your mind, it is essential to get rid of all that mumbling in your head at least for a while. Meditation is a great way to calm down all that. Meditate, practice stillness regularly.

Last not least I need to say: Self-care needs time. And since you need to care extra for yourself abroad, you will need more time than usual to give yourself a treat. Don´t have this time? Take it! There is nothing more important than your physical and mental health. Many expats only realize this at a time when it´s already too late and they feel exhausted, burned out or sick.

Whatsoever exciting or exhausting your time abroad might be, make it a fantastic experience! Pay attention to your personal energy level and keep it in balance. Never forget: Take care of yourself… 

What do you do to keep your body, mind and soul balanced while living abroad? Share your experiences by leaving a comment below. And please, don´t forget to let others know about my article if you like it. Thank you!