How To Be 10% Happier
March 10, 2023
Moving to a new country can be very stressful, overwhelming, uncomfortable, unusual and many other indescribable feelings. It may even be one of the most daunting experiences you may come across in your life.
I will be sharing some of the feelings I face and how I deal with them. Please note that I am not a medical or trained professional whatsoever, and mental health and other support resources with TMU can be found at https://www.torontomu.ca/student-wellbeing/. With that in mind, these are some tips and tricks that have helped me feel at least 10% happier as an international student.
1. Confused
Feeling confused is the least thing you could be feeling when you are at the stage between moving to or have just moved to a new country. My biggest advice would be to plan. Plan everything that could lead to you being confused. Plan each scenario out and write down the best and worst outcome. This way you’ll be prepared for whatever comes your way.
Being confused is ok. It’s ok to be confused; don’t panic when you are confused. Instead, think of ways to solve your confusion and to ease your mind.
2. Overwhelmed/ Overthinking
Breathe. The first thing I would say is breathe. Calm down, take a moment and then think. Think of a solution and don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Being overwhelmed is completely normal, and you may feel overwhelmed more than you would like. When you feel like you are drowning deep in your thoughts, go do something else. Complete an assignment, go to a dance class, workout, go for a walk, meet with a friend, have a shower or do anything that will take your mind off whatever it is you are thinking.
3. Uncomfortable
Being alone in a new country is uncomfortable, going to university, alone with no friends at first is uncomfortable, studying a new major is uncomfortable. If you think about it, anything you will do for the first time will be uncomfortable but it’s all about being out of your comfort zone and exploring who you are and exploring new things. Being uncomfortable will contribute to becoming more mature and will help you grow as an independent. It’s ok to be uncomfortable.
4. Stressed
Plan, plan, plan. Planning assignments in advance will help you reduce your stress levels. Time management will help you feel less stressed. Being organized will help you feel less stressed. Sometimes you can’t control when you are stressed but you can try to reduce the stress as much as possible by being on top of things and having control over what can be controlled. One thing that helps me with all of the above factors and emotions is journaling. Writing how you feel on a piece of paper and then scrunching it up and throwing it away feels as if I took everything off my chest and threw it away.
5. Lost
Similarly to being stressed. Plan, be organized, time management. The main reason for being lost is confusion and not knowing where to start. When you plan, organize and time manage everything you can, you will automatically feel less lost and feel more in control over things.
6. Lonely
Personally, I really struggled with this for the first 1 and a half years due to COVID. I felt completely alone, with no friends, no support etc. Trust me when I say this. GO TO EVENTS AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND BE SOCIAL. I went on instagram and started following many pages that caught my attention and forced myself to attend many events and from those I started making more friends and I’m happy to say I found many wonderful friends from those events.
7. Sad
You are not alone. Speak to people who you feel comfortable talking with. There are many people that feel the way you feel. If you don’t want to speak to friends, family etc. Speak to a counselor. The university offers many contacts and services for help. Other than that, go out, do things that you love. For example, I joined a dance club and go every week to remind myself of the things that I love etc.
8. Not Yourself
Always remind yourself of who you are. Speak to yourself, write it down, do whatever it takes to always remind yourself of who you are because being alone can lead to you losing a sense of who you are. Take time alone and appreciate the time you owe yourself. Do the things that allow you to express yourself and show your true colors and things that bring out the best of your personality.
9. Tired
Being alone in a new country is uncomfortable, going to university, alone with no friends at first is uncomfortable, studying a new major is uncomfortable. If you think about it, anything you will do for the first time will be uncomfortable but it’s all about being out of your comfort zone and exploring who you are and exploring new things. Being uncomfortable will contribute to becoming more mature and will help you grow as an independent. It’s ok to be uncomfortable.
10. Weather
This is something you can’t control. Seasonal depression is a real thing. However, you can’t change the weather but you can change the way you think. You can speak to counselors that can give you ways to overcome this. The university has classes and activities that you can sign up for and attend where you can talk about your feelings and for the instructor to share some coping mechanisms and to help make you feel better and pass through this period of time.
