Big Decisions
It’s obvious that some decisions that we make in our lives can have huge impacts and lead to completely different outcomes. Living overseas is one such decision. Sliding door moments can alter our paths and we may reflect and think ‘What if …?’. A few people thought I was crazy to leave a secure job as a teacher in Australia to head overseas.
But what are the specific long-term effects of a person’s decision to leave their home country and live overseas?
I often wonder how different my life would have been if I had followed a more ‘normal’ path of continuing to live and work for most of my life in my country of birth. Let’s see……
I would have never met my wife for starters. I probably would have bought a house that I would likely have lived in long term. I would have a network of friends that would have remained pretty constant over two to three decades. I would have spent more time with my family and I may have seen a little more of Australia.
How different would I be as a person?
I wonder what different attitudes and beliefs I would have. I wonder if my mental and physical health would be similar and I wonder generally if I am more happy now than I would have been had I not been living in Asia for all this time. This brings me to the advantages and disadvantages that living abroad brings. Rather than speculate, I wondered what research might have been conducted into the psychological benefits of living overseas.
I was surprised to find that over the past few decades, there has been a growing interest in the social and emotional benefits of living overseas. Research in this area has focused on how living in a foreign country can impact an individual’s personal growth, social skills, and emotional well-being.
Here are some key findings from this research:
Increased cultural awareness and sensitivity
Living overseas can help individuals develop a better understanding of other cultures and customs. This can help them become more open-minded and tolerant of others, as well as more culturally sensitive. For example, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that “individuals who had lived abroad were more likely to recognize and appreciate different cultural norms and values”. I definitely see this in how I view different cultures. It seems like an obvious one.
Improved social skills and communication
Living in a foreign country can also help individuals develop stronger social skills and communication abilities. This is because they are often required to interact with individuals from different backgrounds and cultures, which can help them become more adaptable and empathetic. For example, a study published in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology found that people who had lived overseas were “better at adapting to new social situations and were more skilled at intercultural communication.” This has never been my strong suit, but I definitely have needed to be more adaptable and have probably improved my social skills.
Enhanced creativity
Living overseas can also stimulate creativity and problem-solving abilities. This is because we are often required to adapt to new and unfamiliar environments, which can help us develop more creative and innovative solutions to problems. For example, another study found that “ individuals who had lived abroad scored higher on creativity tests compared to those who had not”.
Greater resilience and adaptability
It has been found that living overseas can also help people develop greater resilience and adaptability. This is because they are often required to overcome challenges such as culture shock, language barriers, and unfamiliar social norms. This can help people develop a stronger sense of self-reliance and adaptability, which can be valuable skills in many areas of life.
My time in China was probably when I needed to be most resilient and the confidence gained in being able to overcome the types of day-to-day challenges that I would not have faced at home was immense.
Improved emotional well-being
Finally, research has suggested that living overseas can have positive impacts on an individual’s emotional well-being. For example, another study found that “those who had lived abroad reported higher levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction”. Other studies have also found that living abroad can reduce stress and improve overall mental health.
This is quite an interesting idea and I wonder how much happier people who spend large amounts of time living in different countries are.
Does this make expats happier than those who have stayed at home?
It could be that people considering the move overseas to live and work may benefit from more than an increased pay packet. Living overseas may be a valuable experience for people who are interested in personal growth, cultural exploration, as well as career development. From my personal perspective, I like to think that although some things have been given up, I have in fact become a better, more well-rounded and happier person. I certainly do feel lucky to have lived the life that I have and I know that most of my international teacher friends feel the same.