How does it feel to move to a new country? - yhteiskuntaorientaatio.fi
Feelings often fluctuate after immigrating
Moving to a new country brings on many changes and can cause stress and a variety of emotions. Everyone adjusts to the new country in their own way, but many go through similar emotional stages.
Initially, people often feel excited
When you have just moved to a new country, everything is new and exciting. New environment and new people seem interesting and stimulating. It seems that the new country is full of possibilities. You may have a lot of energy to learn the language and take care of your affairs.
Initial enthusiasm may be followed by disappointment
Once you have lived in a new country for a while, the initial enthusiasm often begins to fade away. Some things will not be easy, and bureaucracy can be frustrating. The unfamiliarity of things may get tiresome. Mood may drop, and stress can cause physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach discomfort. Frustration, anger and hopelessness are common feelings. You may feel lonely and miss your old homeland and its familiar customs, places and people.
When you move to another country, you often have to give up something that has been important to you. Facing and going through this grief will help you move forward.
Over time, emotions will usually settle
Gradually, people begin to adapt. The new country often begins to feel more familiar and understandable. The future often starts to look brighter. People begin to build their lives in the new country on a long-term basis.
How long it takes for a person to reach the stage of adaptation can vary a lot. The duration and intensity of the different phases is affected by, among other things, the reasons of immigration, whether you already have friends or relatives in Finland, or whether you moved with you family. People are different. Some people adjust to everything new more easily, while others adjust to any change more slowly.
This process is not always clear and straightforward. Sometimes a person's adaptation process may go backward, for example, because of some hardship. In the long run, however, the trend is usually toward adaptation.
Sometimes the mood can stay low for a long time and the melancholy associated with the migration process can develop into depression. In such cases, it is advisable to seek help from health care or associations focusing on mental health, for example.
The video below presents the stages of migration in more detail, especially from the viewpoint of the people who have arrived in Finland as refugees.
Video: THL Migration is a major change (youtube.com)(languages: Finnish, English, Arabic, Dari, Ukrainian, Russian, Congo Swahili)
Immigration changes people’s social roles
Moving to a new country often brings changes to the roles that people have had in society and in their own family. In their old home country, adults may have formed very clear roles, for example, as an employee and a member of their own community. After the immigration, they may suddenly be out of work. They do not know anyone in their environment and their neighbours don’t know them. They have to learn the ways of the society, new manners and a new language. An independent, capable adult becomes a learner in need of advice and help.
Changes in the work situation can affect professional identity
A major change in the role can be caused if a person’s identity has been strongly linked to their profession, which they may not be able to practice in Finland immediately. Working in Finland in many professions, such as a teacher or nurse, requires a certain level of education. Many professions also require very good knowledge of Finnish or Swedish. In order to continue in the same profession, you may need to get additional education or even a completely new degree.
Sometimes it may be a more realistic option to change the field, and study for a new career in Finland. This can feel frustrating and affect a person’s self-esteem. The change in professional identity can also affect how other people see them.
A new environment may require balancing between cultures
A new identity as an immigrant and belonging to a cultural, linguistic or religious minority can change the roles of a person. Before immigrating, you may have lived in an environment where the majority spoke the same language, followed the same customs, and shared the same celebrations. In Finland, the customs, language and celebrations of the majority may seem strange. Then again, what has always seemed normal to yourself can be seen as strange in a new environment.
As a result, some people may try to erase their own culture to blend in. Others can seek refuge in old, familiar customs and follow them even more closely than before.
The roles within the family can change
Within the family, family members may adopt new habits and learn the new language at a different pace. This can affect the internal roles of the family. Parents may feel that their authority is threatened if children are faster than their parents in acquiring the language, customs and understanding of the new environment.
The roles of the spouses can also change. The man who had previously provided for the family may be without a job, or the wife who took care of the children at home may start studying for a profession. Then again, a parent who previously worked outside home, may, as a result of the migration, stay at home for a while to look after the children.
It is beneficial for the family to discuss these changes and the feelings they generate. The family can ponder together the hopes and fears each family member may have concerning their life in the new country. If needed, social services in your own wellbeing services county or various associations, for example, may help with these discussions.
During major changes, it is important to take care of yourself
It is important to be understanding toward yourself while navigating and difficult emotions associated with migrating. You should not be frightened of negative emotions or try to deny them, but to give yourself permission to feel any emotions. At the same time, remember that many things get easier over time.
Your expectations for a new country and a new life should be realistic. The new country opens up new opportunities, but there are also challenges to migration. It is worthwhile to set yourself suitable goals and consider how to utilize your strengths and competences in a new situation. It is also worth accepting that integration does not happen by itself, but takes time and effort.
Even if you are not sure whether you have moved to a new country permanently, you should try to focus on the present. Integration requires investing in the future in a new country, and therefore it is useful to try to live as if the migration were permanent. For example, it is worth reserving time and resources for language learning from the beginning.
It easier to cope when you to take care of yourself and your own well-being. Exercise, adequate sleep and healthy food are beneficial to the body as well as the mind. It is good to connect with people, both new acquaintances and old family and friends. It is also important to do things you have enjoyed before. They help you understand that you don’t have to forget your past life and your own background in a new country.
In the video below, you can find out more about the different ways you can take care of your well-being in everyday life:
Video: THL Take care of health (youtube.com)(languages: Finnish, English, Arabic, Dari, Ukrainian, Russian, Congo Swahili)
Read more: Promoting your health and well-being.