Whilst most of us adapt easily to life offshore as expats, it’s worth spending a few minutes thinking about how best to stay emotionally and psychologically healthy on the Islands. Licensed psychotherapist Dhyan Summers shares her thoughts:

#1: Connection

You can never have too many people you have a heartfelt connection with.

Psychological studies show us that, as adults grow older, the single most important predictor to their happiness is the number and quality of the friendships they have.

It’s an even greater predictor than whether you have a spouse.

Spend some time thinking about how you can nurture the connections you already have as well as how you can build new ones where you are now.  

#2: Exercise

Exercise boosts both your emotional and mental health. When you work up a sweat by exercising, your body releases hormones like dopamine, the feel good hormone, which acts as a natural anti-depressant.

If you’re a career expat and working hard, exercise is especially important. You might feel as though you have no time as there are so many demands placed on you. But try putting your cellphone down for 30 minutes and going for a brisk walk, run or swim instead. You’re in the Caribbean so it shouldn’t be too difficult.

#3: Passion

Finding something you feel passionate about, and pursuing your passion, is another great way to boost emotional health.

You may already know that you’re passionate about sport, playing music, painting or learning languages. If so, devote time to those things on a regular basis.

If you’ve not yet found a passion, this is the time to discover it.  You might think about times in the past when you were engaged in an activity and you looked at the clock and hours had gone by instead of minutes. A sense of timelessness seems to go along with passion.

Or there might be some things you’ve always wanted to try but never had the time or inclination. Living abroad is the perfect time to try new things and reinvent yourself.

Whatever it is, see if it can also involve being around other people as there’s nothing like bonding over a shared passion to ignite friendships.

#4: Giving back

If you’re fortunate enough to be living offshore, chances are you might have had some help along the way, whether it was a mentor at work, a former colleague who blazed a trail before you, or a teacher or family member who inspired you.

Now you have the opportunity to give back… or pay it forward.

In terms of improved emotional health, there’s nothing like knowing you’re contributing to another person’s well being. It can also be a boost to your self-confidence by showing you how much you know.

Giving back can involve one person or a group of people. For your emotional health, try to do something other than giving money. The more involved you are personally, the more benefit you’ll feel the benefit!

Source: Adapted from an article written by expat counsellor and therapist, Dhyan Summers: Expat Counselling & Coaching Services

If you want a job abroad, visit our jobs portal to see the latest vacancies. Our site includes a downloadable All You Need to Know guide which will tell you all you need to know about living and working offshore.