Finding a great job abroad is a dream come true for many. For those who embark on this adventure with their families, this isn’t the case. They are filled with worry, stress, and frustration. As if juggling family life and work isn’t hard on its own, they now have to move to another country and start anew. No wonder they become overwhelmed even before they actually move. Despite all challenges, you can still enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity and make the most of it. All you have to do is find the perfect balance between your family life and working from home. With our guide, you will have a healthy balance between the two and finally enjoy the exciting adventure with your family.
Organize Family Activities
Working from home means you have more flexibility and freedom to organize yourself however you want to. Besides, you have just moved to another country with so many prominent landmarks waiting for you and your family to visit and enjoy. For this reason, it would be wrong to sit in your house after you finish your work for the day and on weekends. Organizing family activities such as outings, exploring the city, going to the park, strolling around the neighborhood, hiking, etc. Such activities are a great opportunity for not only bonding as a family but also getting used to the new lifestyle and surroundings. Additionally, during any of these activities, you might meet new people, make friends, and settle down.
Socialize at Work
When you move abroad, you may feel alienated and lonely because you’re far away from everyone you know and trust. While you can communicate with them every day, it’s still not the same. A part of the whole moving abroad experience is meeting new people and making friendships. There is no better place for socialization than the workplace. The fact that you work from home shouldn’t stop you from interacting with people from work. You can use the intranet not only to discuss work but also to ask for recommendations, help, advice, etc. Moreover, if you show initiative and willingness to meet your coworkers and get along nicely, you’re off to a good start as an employee. Your managers will recognize and reward your efforts for strengthening the company’s team spirit and building a positive atmosphere in the workplace.
Learn the Language
When you move abroad, you may face many challenges. Cultural differences, language barriers, bureaucracy are just some of them. However, if you’re a fluent speaker of that country’s language, you can overcome any obstacle much easier. Also, it will bring you and your family much closer to the locals. This way you can blend in and become members of the community. If you don’t speak the language, you might consider signing up for a language course or taking individual classes. Language learning can be a family activity as well. You and your family can learn it together and practice it around the house to master it faster.
Switch on, Switch off
The key to a great work-life balance lies in keeping them separate. How are you supposed to do that when both your family and your work currently belong to the same place — your home? Well, it’s quite easy. All you have to do is switch off when you finish work and dedicate yourself completely to your family. You could even use the time to invest in a hair care routing. When the time comes to work again, you switch on and focus solely on the work that demands your attention. However, with so many gadgets, platforms, and the Internet in general, staying off work-related stuff is impossible. If you want to have a healthy balance, you have to turn off your notifications and stop checking your inbox every second. Make sure your superiors and coworkers are aware of your decision. Don’t forget to notify them of how they can reach you in case of an emergency.
Lay Down Rules for Your Kids
If you have small children, you might want to lay down some golden rules for them. Make them understand that your work matters. When you’re sitting behind a desk, they shouldn’t disturb you. Come up with signals so they know when they can approach you and voice their concerns. If you have trouble keeping your kids quiet and focusing on work, you should sign them up for some activities. They can be swimming, language learning, football practice, or whichever activity your kids prefer. This won’t only buy a few hours during which you can complete your tasks, but also give them a chance to meet new friends and adapt to their new environment.
Moving can be tough, especially when such a drastic new beginning can take a lot of courage. Once the first step is made, the path of the future will lead you on in conquering any new challenge in front of you.
Need more inspiration? Check out these inspiring travel quotes.
Author Bio
Morgan Rose Elliott is an aromatherapist, yoga instructor, animal lover, a happily married mother of three. She enjoys reading biographies and writing poems, sunny days on the beach, and any shape and form of vanilla. Crazy about the ’80s, her favorite band is Duran Duran (although kids prefer Franz Ferdinand, and the husband Blink182) and she is obsessed with Netflix original Stranger things.
