Tips for expat stress management

Living abroad as an expat can be stressful, especially in the beginning. Having to continuously adapt to new surroundings and new challenges can generate a lot of extra stress, making it harder for expats to feel at home. While expat life can be fantastic and extremely rewarding new expats will have to navigate several major life events including:

• Moving house
• Culture shock
• Starting a new job

Taking on all these new challenges can make expats particularly susceptible to stress, from a multitude of sources:

• New workplace
• Changes to home and family life
• New cultural environment

Our body’s reaction to stress is similar, no matter what the source. Some of the most common symptoms of stress according to the Mayo Clinic include:

• Disturbed sleep
• Inability to relax
• Upset stomach
• Aches and pains
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Lack of motivation
• Over or under eating
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Angry outbursts
• Social withdrawal

If you are experiencing some of the above symptoms then you may well be experiencing expat stress.

Although you may be tempted to ignore the symptoms of expat stress, have a coffee and push through, this may have a negative impact on your health in the longer term. Emotional pressure, over a long period, can result in chronic stress which has been associated with health conditions like high blood pressure, insomnia, heart disease and expat depression.

Reconnecting with family and friends can help improve your stress levels. If you are under pressure in your new role or facing challenges at home, try to make time to be together and do something fun as a family in your new country. If your family aren’t with you, pick a hobby you enjoy and join a group or class. Having a support network while abroad is important for stress management.

Working as an expat there are many places you can seek help for stress:

• Your doctor
• The HR department of your company
• Expat assistance programme 

Look after your physical and mental health with a flexible and affordable expat health insurance plan tailored to you with Allianz. Get in touch with us today if you have any questions