{"id":14779,"date":"2017-10-19T09:00:18","date_gmt":"2017-10-19T13:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/?p=14779"},"modified":"2022-03-11T15:08:49","modified_gmt":"2022-03-11T20:08:49","slug":"6-tips-combatting-relocation-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/blog\/6-tips-combatting-relocation-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Tips for Combatting Relocation Depression"},"content":{"rendered":"

Moving abroad should be an exciting and passionate time. For many it\u2019s the start of a new adventure, a new chapter, or new beginning. It\u2019s often a time of opportunity in work or romance, and the whole move and relocation can pass by in a whirlwind. However, once that last box is unpacked and you\u2019re settled into your new home in a shiny new city, a sinking feeling can seep in. This is known as relocation depression, and its most common symptoms include sleeping too much or feeling tired all the time, feeling lethargic and apathetic, and isolating yourself by being unwilling to leave the house or socialize. However, once you notice these signs, it can be fairly straightforward to cure yourself of this unfortunate affliction, and you don\u2019t need to spend a fortune or pop prescription pills to get back to normal.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Get Involved In Something Local<\/b><\/p>\n

While being withdrawn and anxious can be a sign of relocation anxiety, if you\u2019re able to push through your trepidations and force yourself to leave the house by joining a local volunteer or sports group, you may already be close to shattering your depression and enjoying your new life. Joining a book club, a hiking group, or even local joggers or dog walkers can provide you with company, a chance to leave the house, and opportunities to make friends, all without the fear of awkwardness or rejection, as these groups are made to be joined by like-minded individuals. Before you know it, you\u2019ll feel right at home. <\/span><\/p>\n

Social media is a great tool to find these kinds of events. All you need to do is type in your new location along with whatever kind of club you want to get involved in and you\u2019re sure to find loads to do. Alternatively, click on \u201cEvents\u201d in your local area to see what\u2019s going on!<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Talk to the New People in Your Life<\/b><\/p>\n

Neighbours and colleagues are people you\u2019ll come to recognize, and while it may be difficult to overcome shyness, speaking up and saying hi or suggesting drinks or coffee is a great way to meet new people – or at least feel a little more at home in your new neighbourhood and office. \u201cYou\u2019ll establish some ties and feel like you belong, even if no lifelong friendships bloom as a result. It\u2019s nice to be involved and feel like a part of your new world, even in small ways like chatting with the people next door and making small talk in the elevator or at the water cooler,\u201d says Anthony Lopez, a psychologist at <\/span>Academized<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you start your new place of work, try hosting a housewarming party. It doesn\u2019t have to be massive, but simply let some people know at work that you\u2019ve moved into the area and you\u2019re thinking of throwing one. It\u2019s a great way to get to know people and you\u2019re sure to make some friends from it.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Get Outside<\/b><\/p>\n

For all kinds of depression, including relocation abroad, fresh air and exercise can work wonders. Getting out for a walk or a cycle not only can clear your head and release some happy hormones, but it can also lead to you feeling a lot more at home and comfortable in your city. <\/span><\/p>\n

This goes hand in hand with the consideration above. If you don\u2019t already, take up jogging or running and join a running club. This is a great way to get some fresh air in your lungs and the exercise will help you feel great!<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Stay in Touch With People from Home<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s often loneliness that hits people hard when they relocate. However, one super simple way of combatting this is by staying in touch with family and friends from your hometown, or wherever you moved from. Elizabeth Hogans, a Personal Development Coach at <\/span>Huffington Post<\/span><\/a>, gives her comment: \u201cReminding yourself that you have a loving family and friends can stop you from feeling alone, and inviting people to visit your new home and showing them the sites is a great way to ease your transition and help you realize that moving doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ve severed all ties with your old life\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once again, social media plays a huge role in this aspect, but don\u2019t rely on it. It can be easy to see all your old friends hanging out and having fun, and it\u2019s bound to make you feel sad and depressed. Instead, try having a phone call every now and then and make journeys back to see them. Alternatively, invite them up to stay in your new place!<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Change Your Habits<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cTry doing something totally out of character to break out of your shell. You\u2019ve just made the big brave choice of moving abroad somewhere totally new \u2013 so if you\u2019ve always wanted to try dance classes or skydiving, now is the perfect time to give it a go,\u201d says Nathaniel Baker, a business coach at <\/span>Oxessays<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking up a new hobby or pastime is a great way to meet new people. Simply make a list of all the things you enjoy and then see what\u2019s available to you. Who knows, you might find your new favorite thing!<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Bring Familiarity with You\"Consumer<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing somewhere new is scary and lonely, but by surrounding yourself with home comforts like framed photos or scented candles, or pillows or throws from your old place, you can find yourself feeling a lot more settled,\u201d shares Jeannette Willis, a personal coach at <\/span>Revieweal<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever reason you\u2019ve moved abroad for, this is a new and exciting time. It\u2019s very similar to going long-term traveling where you\u2019re bound to get homesick and develop something known as \u201cthe fear.\u201d With time, you\u2019ll start to feel at home and the depression will be gone!<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve already taken the hardest steps by moving \u2013 you are absolutely strong enough to get past relocation depression, especially if you follow the tips laid out above.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gloria Kopp is a paper writer and proofreader at\u00a0<\/i>Big Assignments<\/i><\/a>. She is a regular expert contributor at Template Monster and\u00a0<\/i>Grade On Fire<\/i><\/a>\u00a0blog. Besides, Gloria is an author of\u00a0<\/i>Studydemic<\/i><\/a>\u00a0blog where she writes her online reviews for students and educators.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Moving abroad should be an exciting and passionate time. For many it\u2019s the start of a new adventure, a new chapter, or new beginning. It\u2019s often a time of opportunity in work or romance, and the whole move and relocation can pass by in a whirlwind. However, once that last box is unpacked and you\u2019re […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":308,"featured_media":13973,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[2670,23448,6631,11222,9563,23446,7492,2149,23444,22436,2459,5773,4310,8003,13571,1793,23447,23445,3189,2198],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/image1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14779"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/308"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14779"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14779\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45637,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14779\/revisions\/45637"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14779"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=14779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}