By Ms. Ritika Gupta, Founder, AAera Consultants: Emigrating to a foreign country is often taken to be a career or academic pursuit. But aside from the career reasons, the relocation can significantly influence one’s health and well-being.
Many have discovered that living in another society and culture is supportive of healthier physical and emotional habits.
Developing a Healthier Lifestyle Abroad
Living abroad will most often mean that one has to make changes in habits and routine. For instance, in most European countries, everyday life is ruled by walking, weekly fresh produce markets, and encounters with neighbors.
According to a writer on health issues for a UK-based weekly paper who emigrated from the United States, her health improved dramatically since her move to the UK.
She walked more, exposed herself to fresher fruits and vegetables, and was less stressed, which resulted in better-looking skin and reduced cravings for sweets.
In the same manner, another person explained how moving to Thailand changed her health. Dealing with obesity and burnout in the US, she moved to Chiang Mai, where she adopted cheap wellness habits such as walking every day, massages, and a healthy diet. Within six months, she had lost 60 pounds and regained her confidence and self-esteem.
Mental Well-being and Work-Life Balance
The psychological benefits of foreign work and residence are equally robust. Some countries value work-life balance highly, with shorter workweeks, more holidays, and cultural appreciation for play and family time. Such a shift can eliminate the paralyzing stress and burnout prevalent in more work-centered societies.
A writer’s experience in Portugal is an exemplary case for this change. Beginning on a mission to find a remote working job, her experience abroad made her reconsider her priorities. The emphasis on community, healthcare access, and sluggish lifestyle inspired her to shift her focus to personal growth and wellness.
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Personal Growth and Independence
Living away from home encourages personal growth and independence. Experiencing a new environment, culture, and language stretches one out of their comfort zone and boosts their ability to solve problems and become independent. Experiences like this tend to increase self-knowledge and a new sense of direction.
One lady, who immigrated to the United States as a young child by herself, transformed her early struggles into a rich and meaningful life. Her background informed her identity and inspired her to create a life centered around honoring displaced people through food.
a) Walking Became a Way of Life
In our home country, cars felt like extensions of our bodies—we drove to everything, even the corner store. After relocating, one would think of walking to the bakery, the market, and the bank. Not as a conscious decision, but because walking was just what people did.
b) The Pain of Freshness can make one Mentally Tougher
Exploring a new nation can be humbling to the extreme. One can stumble over street names, eat the wrong foods, or make a payment for groceries in the wrong coins.
It was embarrassing at first. But gradually, one might come to enjoy that sense of unfamiliarity. It made one stronger. One becomes more at ease seeking assistance.
Living in a foreign nation offers more professional and academic growth; it can be an initiator of healthier and better-balanced living. Physical activity, healthy eating, and improved mental health combine to give a complete transformation.
New cultures and ways of life can initiate profound personal transformations, improved well-being, and new perceptions towards life.
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