So you’ve moved (or are about to) to a new country. You’ve been on holiday over there and it was a splendid experience, so it should be fairly straight forward to make the transition.
You signed your contract, moved your household goods, packed your bags and attended that thoughtful party that your friends and family had organised for you to celebrate this milestone (of course this was a surprise… You didn’t expect it at all!)
And then the adventure begins. You discover your new home, your new office, your new colleagues. Ok, your English / French is not as good as you thought (why do people speak so quickly suddenly; what are these strange words that they regularly use and you’ve never heard before?); people’s behaviours and habits are different from yours; driving is such a challenge (why on earth are they driving on the wrong side of the road?); even small things like writing an email is an effort (let the funny game of QWERTY vs AZERTY begin! Yes, even the laptop keyboards get in your way!).
Thankfully that’s the end of the day and you can go home, speak a ‘normal’ language, eat ‘normal’ food, tell your family how you feel. Well…. Will you? Or will you listen to them telling you about their own challenges? Or will you all avoid that important discussion because you’re too tired, stressed and had enough emotions running through your body and mind for one day?
Having been an expatriate myself for 19 years, I know the feelings! Living and working abroad is NOT as straight forward as it seems. One thing I’ve learnt from my experience is that bottling up your emotions / doubts / challenges will not be helpful in the long run and may even be the reason why you decide to ‘go home’ earlier than planned.
Expatriate Coaching is an effective approach to help you prepare for (and adjust to) your new life, voice and understand your specific challenges such as cultural and self-awareness, develop coping strategies to make your experience more pleasant and positive.
Don’t wait until you reach the breaking point! Try #ExpatriateCoaching now! For more information, please contact Anita Sauvage on 0044 – (0)7970 819489. A bientôt !
