😫 What I’ve heard in today’s conversation with #expats is that 😫#loneliness may come to a rise during Advent (a part of #Christmas festivities) in late November and December.
We all feel a need to 🤝CONNECT, to #BELONG especially during holidays. Even most successful career moms.
At this time of the year, your family, colleagues, and friends are looking for a human-to-human connection.
🤩 Here are my top 4 life hacks to get #connected: 🤩
✅ 1. Be proactive and talk to your family
members from your home country over any of Skype, Whatsup, Facebook, Zoom or Telegram.
You’d be surprised how much your parents’/family members would value 15-30 minutes with you.
🌈 #Fun ideas 🌈:
💓 use an electronic spinner for things you’re g
rateful for during this year and play them over your online coffee chat.
🤎 during a year write down one thing you’re grateful for in a week and put it all in a jar to read on Christmas at your family gathering.
✅ 2. Take some time to #selfreflect on what does it mean for you to belong.
Choose ONE #journalprompt to write down for 10 minutes
🧡 What inspirational group for you do you want to belong?
💛 Where do you spend time your time with a deep appreciation to a group?
💚 What connection are you seeking? How oft
en?
❤️ Write a story about a character who desperately wants to belong.
💙 Which cultural group celebration is your favorite?
💜 How did you become a part of the different cultures you are involved in?
✅ 3. Give and RECEIVE.
This is a great opportunity to send a nice old-style card or an electronic card to people you love.
More options:
a handwritten letter or a thank you note
for Catholics – offer your neighbor an advent calendar with tea bags for every day before Christmas
send a Christmas card to a future you/your kid
/your hubby
free hour of babysitting to an ex-pat mom in need
As caregivers, we tend to provide care, and this is a great time for us to RECEIVE: some help with your meals, or presents wrap, or asking for 10 minutes to yourself.
✅ 4. Declutter
👜 Your purse
The subscriptions that you no longer use
Your closet
Your wallet
Your fridge
When you clear a space, there will be room for a new connection.
With yourself
With another person
With a new idea
With a group.
My favorite book about decluttering is
📌 The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. 📌 What is yours?
🤩 If you'd like to have a conversation about where you're now with an ex-pat life and career coach, I'm here for you, let's have a no pressure talk.