Beat Your fear and Move Abroad: 5 Powerful Tips
Have you been dreaming of moving abroad but are you scared to take the next step? Instead of holding yourself back, find ways to beat your fear and move abroad! Therefore in this article I share 5 simple but powerful tips to help you beat your fear and move abroad.
1. Practice with Short Solo Trips
If moving abroad feels like a step that is too big for you right now, then practice first with short solo trips to stretch your comfort zones. For example book a weekend away all by yourself in a different city or in another country. Find something that feels out of your comfort zone but is still doable. In other words, if a weekend away already sounds like too much, start with a solo day trip first or have dinner in a restaurant by yourself.
Build it up from smaller steps into bigger steps. Because by expanding your comfort zone like this and building your confidence, it will become easier to really go for it, beat your fear and be ready for your move abroad.
2. Prepare the Logistics of Your Move
Preparation is key! Because the more you feel in control of the process to move abroad, the more confident and excited you will start to feel about it as well. Therefore make sure that you prepare the logistics of your move, like visa, finances, documents etc. Don’t know where to start? Then check out this handy checklist and guide with powerful questions to get started!
Don’t get overwhelmed by everything you need to arrange before your move but take it step by step and have a focused approach. In addition, ask for support whenever you need to. Also, you can find out if Coaching is a good option for you to have some additional support during this process. Schedule a free call to find out how we can work together and create a clear roadmap and action plan to get you ready and organized for your move.
3. Connect with Moving Abroad Experts
Talk to people who have gone through this experience before, like other travellers, expats, exchange students etc. Because you don’t have to figure it out all by yourself. You are not the first one to take this step! People move everyday and were able to overcome their own fears. So you can do this too!
Learn from other people’s experiences and get lots of information on for example Facebook Groups or discussions on Clubhouse. Besides that, you can of course scroll through this Blog for more guidance and resources to help you in your journey. Also, look at people who inspire you and who have done the same. Learn from them and be empowered to take the next steps to beat your fear and move abroad. I share lots of content and tips on my Instagram account as well, let’s connect and I would love to hear more about your journey.
4. Work on Your (Travel) Mindset
If you feel like you are holding yourself back from following your dream of moving to another country, then an important part of your preparation is to focus on your (travel) mindset. Because the “secret” is to turn your fear into excitement.
Once you feel ready and confident for your move, everything else will fall into place. Moving somewhere new first of all starts with prepare yourself, above all the practical things that need to be arranged.
A quick exercise as an example: think about something that you have done in the past that scared you, but once you tried it you felt the adrenaline and your fear turned into excitement? The same can happen when you move abroad! When you realize that your desire to move is stronger than your fear you are on the right track.
Need help to get your mind in the right place for your move and know how to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for your move? Schedule a free Call in which we can discuss how we can work together.
5. Think About the Worst Case Scenario
What if your move doesn’t work out the way you want? For example, if you get homesick? Or what if you find language barriers, feel lonely etc.?
Instead of worrying about all the possible scenarios that could happen and overwhelming yourself, write down all your fears. Understand that there are always solutions to be found for any obstacle that comes your way. Because probably most things that you are afraid of won’t even happen anyway…
And finally, the worst case: if things really don’t work out, you can always leave. However, that doesn’t mean that you failed though. It means you have tried something new and learned something more about yourself. That is a very valuable life lesson.
However, while you are preparing yourself for these scenarios, why don’t you check out one of my other articles in which I cover many topics related to moving abroad and solutions for common ‘expat’ problems:
If you enjoyed reading this article, please don’t forget to leave a comment or connect with me on Instagram for daily updates and inspiration.
If you are looking for personalized support and want a clear roadmap and action plan to get you organized, confident and ready for your move, reach out to me or schedule a free call today.
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Veerle Beelen
Certified Life Abroad Coach & Mentor, and Founder of Unpackbyveer.
Veerle's mission is to empower others to move abroad & feel at home wherever they are. Through her online coaching sessions, blog and social media she empowers and inspires others to expand their horizons and create their dream life abroad.
Awesome content and tips that everyone who wants to move can refer through it.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I’m glad you found my tips helpful.