5 Ways to Take Care of Yourself During Study Abroad

Primarily, the steps towards planning a study trip abroad can seem fairly simple: getting documents ready, packing, purchasing plane tickets, and all that seemingly-easy-yet-horribly-stressful stuff. But you should think about something else that you have probably not yet considered: how to take care of yourself when studying abroad? Studying abroad, as well as some learning curves is a flurry of new and exciting experiences. It can be daunting sometimes, so Take Care of Yourself During Study Abroad!

Take a day of your own

You will find your time to be more valuable than gold while studying abroad. You would want to spend every single free moment exploring new areas, trying new foods, and soaking in anything and everything while you’re not in class or at your internship. And we’re not accusing you! But having a day just for yourself will help offer some relaxation if you find yourself getting tired or burned out.

This means taking a day to do something you want that will relax you! Perhaps it’s spending the whole day watching Netflix or your favorite Ted talks in bed binge-watching, maybe it means hitting the gym, or maybe it’s a calm stroll around your favorite sights.

No matter what it is, it will not only give you a nice break but also have some nice reflective time to internalize the rapid influx of interactions you have been having, taking some time to catch up with your own thoughts.

Journaling

Speaking of reflecting, when studying abroad, writing in a journal is a brilliant idea. During this time of your life, writing down your thoughts and experiences will help record your memories and feelings. And, as you can see, when you read those entries months from now through your writing, you will be able to document your own personal growth as well.

Writing can also be cathartic. If you’ve had an especially stressful or emotional day, it’s a treatment to get all those emotions down on paper. You will be introduced to many things you have never been exposed to before during your time living in a foreign country, and often you will find yourself lost for words. Often the act of writing will help make muddled thoughts clearer.

Keep in touch back home

This is the best way to Take Care of Yourself During Study Abroad. It’s important to touch base back at home every once and a while when you’re exploring. You want to hear from your friends and family, and they will appreciate you having the time to stay in touch with them. It will help you feel ‘in the loop’ of what’s going on back home, keeping in touch with home, and make you feel less isolated from your loved ones.

With the advent of social media and instant messaging apps like Whatsapp, staying linked with people all over the world has never been easier. (Free texting and calling from Whatsapp is also super convenient to stay in touch with new friends you’ll meet when you’re back home abroad!)

Stay healthy

It is true: a safe body is a sound mind. While you dive headfirst into trying new recipes, make sure that you maintain a healthy balance as well. Although keeping a daily workout schedule can be hard; doing little things to keep you active and safe goes a long way.

Simple things like walking to work/school are great habits to build if the distance is not too much, taking the stairs, and drinking more water.

You can also visit a nearby gym or take fitness classes where you can meet and remain involved with locals. Or just going for a jog or running in your neighborhood will help you get more acquainted with your new home and keep you busy if you don’t want to spend cash!

Ask for assistance

We need more support sometimes than we can offer ourselves. Ask for assistance. It is very difficult, to be frank about a serious challenge, and it is also the best way to get the support and help you need. Your ISEP Program Officer will help connect you in your host country to great mental health services, and they want to see you excel. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you know that you are dealing with mental illness or if you are finding that you may be struggling with one when you are traveling. Take Care of Yourself During Study Abroad.