Have you ever had to waddle through turbulent waters? Or were you fortunate enough to have never experienced any setbacks in your life? Do you pass with flying colors or manage to just sail under the radar? But then how do you know how resilient are you? It is when you are subjected to those gut-wrenching instances that your resilience is put to test.
What Is Resilience?
Let us talk about what the word resilience means. Resilience is a Latin word that means to spring back or rebound. It is one of the many soft skills. Every one of us goes through difficulties in life and the way we deal with them is entirely different. Resilience further means the ability to get back up whenever you fall, to live with challenges, and emerge stronger than before.
People think that expat life is all about the perks of a new home country, with access to a plethora of options. It variates from person to person, because the experiences are unique for every individual. Missing family, friends, and familiar places is something even the strongest cannot cope up with. Most days you are perfectly happy, and then you are punched in the face with this unknown feeling of melancholy. No matter what advice you act upon, it does not seem to go away.
It Is All About The Mindset Shift.
You do not have to try hard to be happy and contented all the time. It is okay to not feel okay, and this acknowledgment will make you more resilient. The good news is that resilience is a skill that can be learned and mastered. You can build it by your attitude, actions, and social behavior. Does not matter what area you serve in life, you can always build a stronger resilience by shifting your mindset.
Let us talk about the 10 ways that build your resilience if you are living an expat life. How do you tap on the emotional energy needed to bounce back, and maintain all your sanity, when the going gets tough.
- Expat Life Develops Your Awareness
This is very essential because it enables you to control and strengthen things that you can see and notice. It makes you aware of your feelings, and also teaches you to respond positively ad purposefully, instead of reacting without thinking.
- Expat Life Teaches You Self Care And Compassion
It teaches you to look after yourself and see what are your best resources and nourishments that shouldn’t run out. You learn to replenish your energy levels to keep yourself healthy and going.
- Expat Life Teaches You That Challenges Are A Part Of Life
You learn that challenges are a part of life, and without them, there is no exploring, learning, and improving. It is in adverse times that you discover opportunities, and also effectively help others to fight this reality.
- Expat Life Teaches You That You Are Stronger Than You Perceive
Your creativity and resourcefulness are far more than you think. You have vast experiences that you can put to use. It makes you realize that you have to let go of what others perceive you as, trust yourself, and take charge of your decisions and choices.
- Expat Life Teaches You to Change Your Mindset
The way you perceive the world is exclusive to you. Whatever judgments and assumptions you make are perfectly normal. But what you learn from them is that changing your perspectives to frame challenges in a positive way can open up a whole new world of ideas and possibilities for you.
- Expat Life Teaches You To Connect With Like-Minded People
It makes you realize the importance of people who value you, listen to you, and support you without judgment or opinion. You cherish their presence and also lookout for more people with like-minded approaches.
- Expat Life Teaches You To Be More Mindful
The best way you can learn to be more resilient is by staying calm, breathing, and staying in the present moment. These mindful techniques can be energizing and empowering experiences that help you go through challenging times.
- Expat Life Helps You Recognize Your Boundaries
This is very crucial because you realize which things deserve an assertive response, and which things need to be declined. Creating healthy boundaries gives you the independence to make choices based on what you want. You learn to offload things that don’t serve you or may not even be your responsibility.
- Expat Life Teaches You To Express Yourself
Time away from friends and family is a tough one indeed. But it gives you a wholesome opportunity to express yourself whenever you are in a whirlwind of emotions. Expat life teaches you to express yourself through writing, journaling, or to a trusted friend. You also find solace in creative hobbies like knitting, cooking, painting or gardening, etc.
- Expat Life Teaches You To Find Meaning In Whatever You Do
Expat life gives you a clear sense of whatever you do. You identify the reason for your response to situations. This doesn’t mean that the difficulties will evaporate, but it enables you to rethink your responses and also give you a better understanding of whatever you do, which is quite liberating in itself.
Do You Think That Your Resilience Skills Are Adversely Tested?
There may come times when the difficulties and challenges are more than enough for you. But you should take your time to understand them, by supporting yourself proactively and positively to manage the experience. Ask yourself if you are doing enough to strengthen your resilience skills? It can be hard initially but assure yourself that along the way you will emerge as a much better person who is stronger, wiser, and more resilient.
Give yourself the time to learn, and allow yourself to make mistakes. Trying extra hard can further drain your energy, so it is better to pace slowly, and eventually, you will emerge victoriously.
