The Comedown and How to Get Through It
01/11/23 • 35 min
How to cope with the comedown when you’ve moved overseas.
Not long after you’ve arrived in your new country, there comes a time when it suddenly hits you – ‘Oh, is that it? Now what?’ You feel quite down and flat and wonder if you’ve made a terrible mistake.
We all know that moving overseas is really exciting. It heralds great change, perhaps the hope of a better future and a better life. To most families it represents a new start in their lives both professionally and personally.
But many new expats are shocked that it isn't all happy days and paradise living and begin to second guess their decision.
It’s OK, this is a completely normal experience; and it can often hit harder after the holiday season, which is why I want to talk about it now.
Why does this come-down happen? And what can you do to get through this feeling? Yes, through is the word I mean, because it is a transient feeling; it will pass.
When it happens after you’ve moved, I call it the comedown, or the 6-month slump. And then we have the ‘expat blues’, which is a similar feeling, and is relevant to this time of year. See the links below for articles I’ve written about these.
So, listen to this episode to learn coping methods, and tips to help you get through it, and once you understand why this feeling happens, you’ll be better prepared to power on through!
- Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again! Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat.
- Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options here
- Read my article on The 6-month slump on ExpatChild.com
- Read my article on The Comedown on ExpatChild.com
- Read my article on The Expat Blues on ExpatChild.com
- Visit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!
- Take a look at my Expatability site for more details on how I can support you with your move abroad
How to cope with the comedown when you’ve moved overseas.
Not long after you’ve arrived in your new country, there comes a time when it suddenly hits you – ‘Oh, is that it? Now what?’ You feel quite down and flat and wonder if you’ve made a terrible mistake.
We all know that moving overseas is really exciting. It heralds great change, perhaps the hope of a better future and a better life. To most families it represents a new start in their lives both professionally and personally.
But many new expats are shocked that it isn't all happy days and paradise living and begin to second guess their decision.
It’s OK, this is a completely normal experience; and it can often hit harder after the holiday season, which is why I want to talk about it now.
Why does this come-down happen? And what can you do to get through this feeling? Yes, through is the word I mean, because it is a transient feeling; it will pass.
When it happens after you’ve moved, I call it the comedown, or the 6-month slump. And then we have the ‘expat blues’, which is a similar feeling, and is relevant to this time of year. See the links below for articles I’ve written about these.
So, listen to this episode to learn coping methods, and tips to help you get through it, and once you understand why this feeling happens, you’ll be better prepared to power on through!
- Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again! Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat.
- Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options here
- Read my article on The 6-month slump on ExpatChild.com
- Read my article on The Comedown on ExpatChild.com
- Read my article on The Expat Blues on ExpatChild.com
- Visit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!
- Take a look at my Expatability site for more details on how I can support you with your move abroad
Previous Episode
Culture Shock and the Holiday Season
Expect the Unexpected
Culture Shock
Expats and the Holiday Season
These three topic were planned for separate episodes, but life events meant it made sense to see if I could fit them all into one episode, just in time for the Holidays! I think I succeeded 🤪
I wanted to talk about how strange and different, and sometimes upsetting these special holidays can be for expats living away from their home countries and families.
And the reason these special, family-oriented dates feel so different and sometimes difficult is ultimately down to culture shock!
As for the Expect the Unexpected bit? One of my favourite expat-mentoring mantras is 'Expect the Unexpected'. Some of the ‘unexpected’ is funny, some of it can be a bit frustrating, but we can usually steer ourselves through it all.
Sometimes, however, that unexpected is a complete and utter blind-sider that nothing could have prepared me for.
What happened? Well, listen and find out...
- Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again! Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat.
- Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options here
- Visit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!
- Join my Expat Parents' Support Group on Facebook
- Sign up to receive my Expat Newsletter to keep up to date and in the loop with everything I do
Next Episode
Moving Overseas for Love
Did you move abroad for love?
Long distance love stories for Valentine’s Day!
Falling in love with someone while travelling or living in another country can be a magical experience. The thrill of adventure combined with the excitement of a new relationship can create memories that last a lifetime, and a relationship built on a mutual adventurous spirit.
People move overseas for many, many reasons. Most move for a better life; however that may look for them.
Some move abroad to study. Some move abroad to work. And sometimes those people end up falling in love – either with the country, or a person they meet there.
Perhaps your partner has a career move abroad and you go with them. This is also moving for love, because you may have to sacrifice quite a bit - giving up your own career for example. This is the trailing spouse / accompanying partner story, and is mine – kind of... yes, I’ll share my own love story here too, of course!
There are several variations on this theme as we’ll see in this episode of a compilation of love stories.
- Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again! Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat.
- If you'd like independent advice about your move overseas with a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options here
- Visit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!
- Take a look at my Expatability site for more details on how I can support you with your move abroad
Expatability Chat - The Comedown and How to Get Through It
Transcript
Welcome aboard the Expatibility Chat podcast, helping expat parents navigate moving and living overseas with their families. With Carole Hallett Mobbs, Expat Life Mentor and Consultant and founder of Expatchild.com. I'm Carole, your resident expat expert, and I'm here to help you live the expat life you dream about and deserve. If you're planning a move abroad, or if you're already living your expat life, or even if you're planning a move ba
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