It took some time, but happily, there is now a lot of help available from businesses, blogs, and publications, as well as researchers, coaches, and therapists, on how to handle the practical and deeper-rooted, more emotional and social issues of expat living. People who work in this industry are either foreigners or former expats who have firsthand knowledge of expat life.
Recently, it has been increasingly clear and acknowledged that it is not just the employee who need assistance; the following spouse and children must also enjoy meaningful lives for the expatriation to be successful. But one aspect that has received less emphasis is repatriation, which for some is by far the most challenging of the five stages of expat life.
Having spent numerous years abroad, I’ve had quite different experiences with this transition: the first two times, I was bereaved and found it very difficult, if not impossible, to return to my home life. I just wasn’t done living overseas, and the prospect of never doing so again filled me with fear, anguish, and despair, as well as a tremendous feeling of loss. There was no doubt in my mind that I needed to relocate again.
My most recent repatration experience was considerably different: it was mostly motivated by financial difficulties and enormous worry as a result of this, so finding myself in much calmer and stable financial circumstances made the shift feel secure and like the proper thing to do at the time. There were many aspects to consider for both my children and myself, but now, years later, I feel adequately established and pleased in my new life, despite the occasional desire for life abroad. It’s like though I have the finest of both my nations and both my homes!
The challenges of moving abroad appear to be more obvious: cultural and religious differences, learning a new language, forming a circle of friends, becoming acquainted with exotic foods and foreign customs, finding your identity, etc. appear to be more obvious than the fact that when you move back to your home country, you may face the same challenges. You may not know where to go food shopping, comprehend the new school culture, feel at comfortable with coworkers, your supervisor, or the informal work culture, or adjust to the weather or local traditions now that your view on life has broadened. You will also need to reconnect with friends and family, find a method to ease back into their life, and you may wish to broaden your network of pals.
This is known as reverse culture shock since you will have changed, your nation will have changed, and your friends and family may have become accustomed to living their lives without you around. Though you may not anticipate it, there is a lot to learn when you return to your home country: depending on how long you have been gone, life has moved on.
This can be especially difficult to accept: on the one hand, you would expect/wish for everything to be the same because it provides a sense of safety and familiarity; on the other hand, after going through and experiencing so much, you may resent returning to an unchanged society with friends and family of unchanged mindsets. Because you haven’t been a part of your home country’s transformation process, and your friends and family haven’t been a part of yours, it might be difficult to grasp each other’s viewpoints and attitudes.
Advice on how to cope with repatriation
Coming to grips with feeling homesick and out of place in your own country may be excruciatingly painful, perplexing, and difficult to accept. Here are some pointers on how to tackle the situation:
- Prepare for your return home just as you did for your time abroad.
- In your expat nation, say decent goodbyes.
- Reduce your own and others’ expectations.
- Accept that, although you are going home, you are also, depending on the length of your expatriation, relocating to a foreign nation – treat it as if you were unfamiliar with it.
- Be as interested and open-minded as you were when you first went overseas.
- Take help – tell your friends, family, coworkers, and employer how you’re feeling. Don’t suffer alone; instead, let them know how they can help.
- Consider how you may include components of your life overseas that you truly like, such as more time with family, a particular Thursday evening ritual, or an occasional excursion out.
A repatriation coach is a specialist that assists employees and their families in relocating from one nation to another. They advise on how to adapt, settle in, and achieve balance in your new life.
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