Stress can have a detrimental impact on you and it is not good for both your health and career.
For that very reason, it’s important that you learn how to manage and minimise stress in your life. However, that’s easier said than done. This is especially true following an international assignment.
Moving away from a familiar place into a foreign territory is no joke, and it’s perfectly normal to feel stressed out as you adjust to a new living and working environment, among many other issues commonly associated with being an expat.
Nevertheless, it is important to learn how to manage stress to not let it affect you.
Here are some ways to minimise stress during an international assignment.
Below, you’ll find tips to help you minimise stress when you are assigned abroad.
1. Reach out to someone who’s gone through the same process
There’s a good chance that you are not the first employee sent to work on an international assignment, and you certainly aren’t going to be the last.
Reaching out to someone who’s gone through the same experience might help put your mind at ease. You might also want to consider consulting an international relocation specialist in Singapore to help you manage your move so there’s one less thing to worry about.
2. Try not to turn to alcohol or caffeine
While drinking alcohol at night might put you to sleep and having a cup of coffee could make you feel more productive at work, they’re merely band-aid solutions to a bigger problem: stress. It could even worsen if you start relying on them to keep yourself going. Hence, as much as possible, avoid over-consumption of these beverages.
3. Go outside
Whether it’s taking a stroll at the nearby park or socialising at the local pub, stepping out of your new home and familiarising yourself with the new environment can help minimise the stress of being away from your family and friends.
4. Get back to your usual routine
Whatever it is that you used to do back home, do it. Or, at least, try to start a routine that feels more or less familiar to you.
The more you make yourself feel like you have something to look forward to in life, the better. This is because you will spend less time thinking about the things that you’re missing out on back home and focus more on what you’re going to be doing today, tomorrow, and in the days after.
5. Seek help
If all else fails, seek help.
Most companies have programs set up to help employees cope with being away from friends and family. If this is not an option, you can always schedule a session with a therapist to talk things out.
An international assignment is not something to be taken lightly, especially when you’ll have to uproot your life, as well as that of your family’s if you’re already married.
One possible way to lessen your burden will be to enlist the help of competent global relocation services for your move.
This way, you can ensure that the things that you want to be shipped from home are there once you move in, making your new accommodation feel a little more like home.