How to Maintain Your Energy Level While Living Abroad

Being constantly exposed to a new culture drains a lot of our energy.

Our brain is always forced to be active — even while doing seemingly menial tasks such as making Spaghetti.

Yes, you heard me right. Making Spaghetti.

When you are in a new country, you need to figure out where you can buy the necessary ingredients. You need to figure out what their names are in the new language. You need to explain the salespeople in the shop what you want and then figure out how to pay in the new currency.

Of course, this problem mostly counts just for people who are quite new to a foreign country.

But honestly, being in a new country for a long time doesn’t necessarily get less energy-draining.

We are constantly exposed to things like:

• a second language which we may understand only to varying degrees
• switching back and forth between English, the local language and our first language
• new behaviors and beliefs that are incomprehensible to us
• situations of misunderstandings with local people that leave us in confusion as to what the real problem is
• having to use trial and error in order to find out which behavior works in the new environment

In other words: nothing in a new cultural environment is easy. It will always take us significantly more energy than living in our country of origin. And that is the case even if we have lived there for a longer period of time or if we have significant experience with living abroad.

Idea #1: find the right balance between “new” experiences and things you are familiar with

To me, one of the most amazing factors of living abroad is the fact that I am constantly exposed to new experiences even while just living my ordinary life.

I do not need to go hiking on Mount Everest or on other exciting adventures in order to have new experiences.

After all, even just being in the office and trying to get my message across to one of my co-workers can be an incredibly hard challenge exposing me to a completely different way of looking at the world.

But at the same time, constantly being exposed to new experiences, new languages, new behaviors, new beliefs an so on and so forth while still living having to make a living, meeting friends, being with family and managing all of our responsibilities can be very much to handle at the same time.

One of the most important factors for all expatriates is to ensure a balance between being exposed to new things and things we are familiar with.

This can mean going to Tae Kwon Do classes simply because that has been how you spent your days ‘back home’. Or it can mean reading novels in your first language from time. Or to meet friends who are coming from your culture of origin and just share perspectives about life in the new country.

Both sides are important: the familiar and the new. You have to make sure that you create a balance that lets you to grow constantly, while also not overloading your brain with new experiences.

Idea #2: Bring elements of stability into your life that you can transfer to any country

They are dogs that have seen more of the world than 99% of people ever will.

No, I am not suggesting you should get a dog. But… you certainly can if you think it gives you a feeling of stability.

Having something or somebody that accompanies you wherever you go is an incredibly important anchor of stability that will help you feel more comfortable wherever you are.

That could be pretty much everything:

• a sport or a hobby you have for a long time
• a partner who loves living in new cultures just as much as you do
• a passion for something that you can follow regardless of where you are
• some items that remind you of things that you cherish
• one of these tortoises that is sure to outlive you by many years ! :)

Idea #3: Develop a routine as soon as possible

Perhaps, most people who love moving to different countries on a regular basis do that exactly because they want to escape from routine and the ‘boredom’ that comes with it.

But frankly, routine is one of the most important aspects that help us to maintain our energy levels on a consistent high.

“Discipline equals freedom” — Jocko Willink

Discipline equals freedom is actually one of my favorite quotes. It was first mentioned by Jocko Willink in his interview with Tim Ferris.

Being disciplined enough to have a consistent routine on first view may seem both exhausting and limiting at the same time, but it really isn’t.

You would be surprised by how much of your energy and willpower get deprived every single day by simply making decisions around what you should do now. Even small unimportant things like: “What should I have for breakfast?” or “which of my tasks should I start with today?” can deprive you of a lot of energy.

Having a strong discipline around your daily routines will give you a strong sense of stability even during times when you are constantly exposed to potentially new experiences.

Of course, you still need to plan in sufficient flexibility as well in order to still be able to expose yourself to new experiences. But it all needs to happen within the framework of your daily routine.

Idea #4: Develop an awareness of your own personal values, beliefs and assumptions about the world

One of the hardest aspects of living abroad is that we are constantly exposed to new vales, beliefs and behaviors.

We need to make decisions about how we stand towards them. Do we adapt them ourselves? Do we reject them altogether? Or do we try to integrate them into our existing belief system with adjustments to our own personal way?

These are always tough decisions. But if we are not 100% aware of our own beliefs, then they become even harder and make us even more confused.

One of the most beautiful things about moving to another country is to discover more about who you really are. But to do that, you need to be grounded firmly in your own beliefs in the first place.

So, what are the next steps?

Maintaining your energy level while living abroad is not an easy task. The overload of new experiences will always get to you.

But if you want to be successful at it, then you need to find different elements of life that you can be grounded it. Things like your beliefs, routines you follow, and different things that bring more stability into your life.

In the end, I would like to leave you with a questions to ask yourself:

What steps can you take to bring more stability into your life without making sacrifices in terms of being open for new experiences?

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