Top Tips for Long-Term Health as an Expat

Staying healthy is just as important when you transition into your expat life as it is when you’re living in your home country. If anything, it becomes more important to focus on your health and well-being during the stressful process of moving abroad.

Ensuring long-term health as an expat requires healthy eating and regular physical exercise, but that’s not all. Although they are the foundations of great physical health, there are many additional things to consider, including things that contribute to great mental, social, and financial health. Below, we have covered some top tips for long-term health and well-being when you move to another country if you’re tired of where you live.

Get to Know the Locals in Your New Area

When you move to a new country, you may be leaving your close friends and family back at home. If you don’t know anybody in your new area, it’s important to put yourself out there and strike up conversations with local residents.

Socializing with those around you can help to prevent feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression as you transition into your new life as an expat. it helps to foster healthy relationships with those around you and enables you to find new friends with similar interests.

Online or in local community centers to see whether there are groups that you can join to find like- minded people in your new area. You may wish to join a running club, arts and crafts workshops, or cooking classes. There is bound to be lots going on in your local community, so don’t be afraid to get involved!

Organize Health Insurance

International medical insurance is necessary when you move countries to ensure seamless coverage as you transition into expat life.

Health insurance enables you to access healthcare services in your chosen expat destination at a subsidized price. In fact, in many countries, you would be unable to access any medical care at all without a valid insurance policy, even if you were willing to pay for the bills yourself.

With health insurance, you can get medical treatments if you fall ill or get injured. You can also get routine medical therapies or prescription medications if you have a pre-existing chronic condition. In turn, you can ensure optimal health as you move abroad and start afresh.

Many health insurance policies enable access to routine health checks, medications, hospitalizations, and emergency medical treatments. You can also get specialized policies that offer coverage for maternity care, dental care, and mental health services if you need those.

Avoid Overexerting Yourself

It’s easy to take on too much when you’re planning a move abroad. You can worry about whether things are going to plan or how you will find the time to pack all of your belongings.

As stressful as the relocating process can be, it’s important not to burn yourself out or place too much stress on yourself to make things perfect. Moving abroad is tough, and it’s possible that one or two small things could go wrong along the way.

Avoid putting too many things on your daily to-do list and setting unrealistic expectations of yourself. Create a spreadsheet that details the most important tasks that you need to do and when you need to do them by so you can plan your schedule accordingly.

Make sure to schedule time for rest and enjoyment within your calendar so you have a chance to relax and wind down in between hefty moving tasks. Doing so avoids burn out, ensures you can put you all into planning your relocation, and enables you to enjoy the process from start to finish.

Practice stress management techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and gentle walking, to calm your mind when you’re feeling particularly stressed or anxious. There are lots of great follow-along videos online if you’re unsure how to perform these relaxation techniques by yourself.

Learn About Nutrition

Nutrition requirements vary depending on your sex, age, health status, and physical activity levels. For personalized guidance, you would need to consult a registered dietitian. However, there are some general nutrition recommendations that every expat can benefit from following.

Focus on consuming a well-balanced diet that comprises complex carbohydrates (such as oats, whole grain bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes), lean proteins (like chicken, turkey, fish, tofu, and tempeh), and healthy fats (such as those found in oily fish, avocados, nuts, seeds, and plant oils). You should also make sure you’re consuming enough of each essential micronutrient to support your health. The recommended intake of each nutrient (the RNI) varies with each vitamin and mineral, but aiming for five to seven portions of different-colored fruits and vegetables should ensure adequate intake of most essential micronutrients.

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