SELF CARE AND STUDY ABROAD

Mental and physical self-care is an important part of a successful study abroad experience. Students get so busy with their classes, social life, and weekend travels, that it’s easy to forget to take time for self-care. Here are some tips and tools!

Jet lag can cause a temporary spike in anxiety. To lessen jet lag, don’t drink alcohol on the plane, stay hydrated, and don’t nap on the day you arrive. The best way to beat jet lag is to get in sync with the local time zone by staying awake your first day and going to bed at a normal time. The first week is often the most demanding due to orientation, so rest up!

When you arrive, it’s totally normal to feel 98% exhilarated and maybe 2% nervous. But, if you’re panicky or want to get back on the plane and go straight home, the cause is probably just anxiety. Some initial anxiety is normal and should go away once you get past the jet lag. If you’re struggling, talk to your ASA Site Director, and we can get you the support you need.

After the initial excitement has subsided, you will enter an adjustment period. During the adjustment phase you may have feelings of homesickness, disconnection, loneliness, or even depression. This is normal for some students, and these feelings usually subside within a matter of days or weeks.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, try “talking a day off” from being a study abroad student and from the pressure students often put on themselves to be seeing and doing new things all the time. If you feel like staying in and watching Netflix for a day, that’s fine. Take a day off and try again the next day! And, talk to your study abroad friends about it, they might be feeling exactly the same way!

Contact with family or friends: while it’s important to stay in touch with family and friends at home, having too much contact during the first couple weeks can actually be counterproductive to the adjustment period. It’s important to focus your energy on learning about your new city and making connections with others in your program, and not on what you’re missing out on at home. It will still be there when you get back! Schedule just a couple phone calls or FaceTimes during your first couple weeks. This will allow both your mind and body to stay in study abroad mode instead of FOMO mode!

Adapt to your surroundings. Maintain a daily routine and get involved in the local community. A routine gives you structure that can help you through the adjustment phase. Your ASA Site Director can offer you suggestions for getting involved in the local community. This can help you expand your social circle, stay busy, and gain access to the local culture!

IMPORTANT: If you’re experiencing persistent homesickness, loneliness or depression, please let your ASA Site Director know. Your Site Director is a safe person to listen and support you and is available anytime during your program. They can also refer you to a professional therapist if you would like one. It is covered by the international medical insurance you receive with your ASA program. 

You will probably find yourself doing WAY more walking than you are used to. Bring flat, comfortable shoes for walking (this can’t be emphasized enough!). Blisters will make all those awesome walking tours so much less fun! No heels, please, as many cities have cobblestone and it’s easy to twist your ankle!

If you exercise regularly at home, consider continuing this while abroad. If your host institution doesn’t have a gym, your ASA Site Director can suggest one to join.

Finally, meditation, mindfulness and journaling are valuable sources of stress relief. If you are not experienced with meditation and mindfulness, consider downloading an app, such as Calm, to your phone that offers guided meditation.

Please take your mental, physical and emotional health seriously abroad. You are in a new environment experiencing brand new things, and it is normal to be uncomfortable at first. Be aware of when uncomfortability transforms into something more and reach out to your support system: friends, family, Site Directors and ASA!