It’s no secret that expats can face a wide range of challenges while living abroad. Even under normal circumstances, it’s common to find yourself in an adjustment period, and maybe even a little lost or confused when transitioning to life in a foreign country. (Still- if you’re a regular around here, you know I feel that the experience of living abroad is MORE than worth the challenges that come along with it!)
Still, unfortunately, the coronavirus crisis has definitely made things for those living abroad a bit more complicated. There’s no denying that the Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on all our lives and for expats living overseas, thousands of miles away from their loved ones, it’s posed a whole new array of challenges.
Due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions, social distancing policies, and other confinement measures put in place to combat the spread of Covid-19, millions of expats have found themselves isolated from their friends and family. And many (including me) haven’t been able to leave their host countries for a variety of reasons.
I know first-hand what it’s like to move abroad, expecting one thing, only to be confronted with something entirely different. To find yourself struggling with social isolation and overwhelming feelings of homesickness and frustration, and even stress, and anxiety.
That’s why in this article, we’ll look at some of the biggest challenges expats are facing now during the pandemic. We’ll go through these so you know that you’re NOT alone. And then I’ll also provide some suggestions and advice for things to do to cope with these added Coronavirus challenges.
2 Major Challenges Expats are Facing Right Now
Let’s start with the challenges. Being in lockdown, especially abroad, can’t be easy for anyone. Here are two of the greatest difficulties expats have been facing during this worldwide pandemic and periodic lockdowns in their foreign “home” countries:
Isolation & Alienation
When you’re stuck in lockdown, anywhere in the world, it’s inevitable that feelings of loneliness may creep in. These feelings can be even more intense for expats living abroad in foreign nations due to all the rules and restrictions surrounding international travel. You may not be able to leave your host country to be with your friends and family back home and in many cases, you may not even be able to hang out with local friends or colleagues due to strict lockdown and social distancing rules. These conditions can be very alienating and stressful, even for a seasoned expat.
Mental Wellness Challenges Including Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
We humans are social beings. Most of us need some kind of community or social connection to thrive. Social confinement can have devastating effects on a person’s wellbeing, both at home AND abroad. This year, around the world, these mental wellness challenges are on the rise. This seems to make sense as research shows a link between loneliness/isolation and various mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and stress. If you’re feeling this way right now, know that you’re definitely not alone and that seeking professional help can be a great source of support.
How to Cope with these Challenges as an Expat
Life as an expat in a foreign country during a worldwide pandemic can definitely be tough. That’s why I want to share some ways to cope, that I too have been putting into practice during this unprecedented time.
While it’s certainly easy to get caught up in negatives, this is simply our reality for now, and these external circumstances are out of our control. So rather than harp on what we can’t do, let’s go through some tips to get the most out of this situation, with mental and physical health in mind. Here are a few coping strategies to help you deal with the negative emotions and get you through these challenging times.
Stay in Touch with Loved Ones
Being far away from family and friends back home can be one of the most complicated challenges faced by expatriates. In pre-pandemic times, you could easily get home to visit your loved ones, but with the way international travel has been affected, this is often no longer practicable — at least for the time being. Still, there are so many other ways to connect with the people you love, even from halfway across the globe.
Luckily for us today, modern technology provides plenty of ways to stay in touch with loved ones even when we are thousands of miles apart. You can employ tools such as Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, and good ol’ FaceTime to make video calls and set up group chats, and you may even feel closer than ever. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are also a great way to stay in touch and up to date with the people you care about when you can’t travel. Thanks to the internet, social media, in particular, the world is now a smaller place, and you can keep in touch with your kin and friends from faraway lands.
Need ideas for what to do/say? Share funny videos, pictures of what you’re up to, play online games together, and engage with their posts on social media to keep in contact even when separated by oceans and time zones. And if you’re feeling lonely or depressed, confide in those you love about your concerns and how you are feeling. They are here to love and support you, but they can’t read your mind from another country! Open up and don’t keep all your feelings pent up inside. Just talking through things with a loved one can go a long way toward helping you manage your situation.
Embrace Routine
The widespread global disruption brought about by the coronavirus crisis has had serious implications for our routine lives. As an expat, who may already be facing disruptions in your normal routine, this can pose one of the biggest challenges for you throughout the pandemic.
Combat this by actively establishing a new routine and adapting old habits like exercise or cooking healthy meals to your new situation. Introducing structure in your quarantine life will make it a bit easier to navigate the external chaos.
And while it may seem like your lockdown life is completely out of your hands, your routine and habits are some of the things you always have control over. It’s all about making plans for each day and allocating times for the different things you’d like to do. You can start by creating a time schedule for when to get up and out of bed, the times you’d like to eat, and go to bed. Creating a structure will not only give you a sense of control but also make your life in isolation more manageable. Establishing a structure will also help you protect your mental and physical health during these trying times.
Stress Management
The coronavirus crisis has triggered an array of emotional issues among members of the expat community. Many expats are facing challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming, and result in strong emotions. Sadness, anger, frustration, fear, and other harmful emotional states are common during tough, uncertain times like the present. Learning to cope with negative emotions in a healthy way improves resilience during turbulent times. So, how do you deal with all the stress?
There are many ways to cope with difficult situations and avoid stress. Experts recommend various stress management techniques to calm yourself down and promote mental health if you find that you are being too worked up by this surreal situation. These include physical exercise as well as meditation and mindfulness. Physical activities such as jogging, jumping rope, yoga, and weight training can help. Research shows that mindfulness exercises have a calming effect and can reduce your stress levels.
Reduce Your News Consumption
Most adults in the United States feel they need a break from Covid-19 news, and for a good reason. The fact is not many countries have handled the pandemic well, and as a result, most of the news about covid-19 are negative. Overexposure to all the negative news can take a toll on your mental wellbeing. Seeing all the deplorable stories about coronavirus on the news both in your home country and in your host nation will have you feeling sad and helpless.
Cut back on your new consumption to protect your mental health. While it’s essential to stay up to date with significant developments in your world, you should limit the hours you spend glued to your TV to reduce exposure to upsetting Covid-19 news. Given that social media is one of the biggest sources of news and information in the modern world, staying out of your Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks might help.
Just like TV, there is a lot of negative Covid-19 news on social media. Overexposure to negative news on your social media feed can also raise stress levels. Consider a social media break if scrolling through your Facebook feed feels a little overwhelming because of all the negative covid-19 news. Keep in mind that not all information you see online is factual. There’s also a lot of fake news on social media, making it even worse than cable news.
Connect With Friends and Family through Local Sports and TV Shows
Enjoying local entertainment and sports together is an excellent way to connect with friends and family back home when you are abroad. You can even plan virtual movie nights with loved ones back home! However, Netflix, Disney plus, Hulu, Prime Video, and other streaming services usually offer different shows and movies in each country. So, you may have trouble finding a movie, TV show, or sporting event that you can watch together across borders.
But that actually doesn’t mean that expats can’t enjoy local content and sports events with friends and family back home when you overseas, far from it. You can stream content from anywhere in the world with the help of a VPN. You can install a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to bypass geo-blocks and watch content anywhere in the world without any restrictions. This tool lets you change your current location to any part of the world. (Make sure it’s legal in your current country of residence!)
For instance, you can use a VPN to connect to a server located in your home country. That way, you will be able to watch local TV shows and sports with loved ones without any restrictions. Check out this guide on how to watch Netflix with a VPN. It’s pretty straightforward. All you have to do is download one, use it when connected to the internet, and change your location.
Reach out to and Network with the Expat Community
As an expat, it’s good to put yourself out there and make new friends so that you can feel more at home in your home country, more so during a global pandemic. There is a whole community of expatriates like yourself to reach out to for help. And you can do it safely online. Connecting with people who can validate your experience and understand your challenges best can make your life a whole lot easier.
Covid-19 has made life very difficult for expats. But you need to remember that you are not alone, and these circumstances are temporary. If being stuck in your host country has you feeling a little blue, don’t worry. Staying in touch with the people you love through video calls, chat apps, and social media can help you get through these tough moments. Find healthy ways to cope with the stress and reach out to the expat community in your host country for assistance.
Leave a reply