We all feel that home should be a relaxing environment, but so many people feel that the environment they live in is not conducive to any sense of happiness. The concept of emigrating is far more common for many people these days, and it's easy to see why. So many people feel that their quality of life has subsided and that they are having to work more for the same lifestyle.
The cost of living is creeping up in many parts around the world, and as a result, when people start to look at what other countries can offer for the wage they are on, is it hardly a surprise that people are looking to emigrate? But does emigrating to another country benefit people? Here are a few things that everybody needs to consider before they make a big move.
Dealing With the Red Tape
While it's not about finding the best overseas movers and simply hopping from A to B, the fact is that there is a lot of red tape, depending on where you are. In one respect, this can be incredibly frustrating because you are looking for a better quality of life, and having to go through numerous application forms can take the shine off the process.
But looking at it from the perspective of your chosen country, you must remember that you've got to add value to it. Red tape can be very frustrating, and the reality is that we can use this to our benefit. It really gives you the opportunity to think long and hard about if your chosen destination is what you want culturally, ethically, financially, and emotionally.
What Is It You’re Running Away From?
While “running away” might be a very loaded term, the reality of the situation is that when you are dissatisfied with your current circumstances, it's human nature to want to move on to a land filled with milk and honey. However, we must ensure that before we leave, we have dealt with any unfinished business.
Running away is never a solution to any problem, but if we are looking to move to another country we have to get to grips with the fact that going somewhere new may not be the answer to all of our problems. When we are running away from an environment that is not giving us what we need, we've got to dig deeper and understand if there is something we can do to change the environment we are in.
Children get to the point where they need to leave home so they can be their own person. They can feel stifled because they are under someone else's roof, and therefore, under someone else's rules. So if you are considering moving to another country, what will the country you're currently living in benefit from changing?
A lot of people move to another country for one simple thing: money. Money is not the be-all and end-all, but so many people are now looking to go somewhere else because the money they have can go further. However, going to another country could mean paying a lot of extra fees because you are not a native of that country. When we go to another place in another part of the world, we could very well earn the same wage that we do at home and get more for it, but are we going to be paying more in other ways?
What About Homesickness?
Homesickness is one of those things that cannot be described until you experience it. The sense of longing for your homeland can easily be clouded by your feelings of hatred for where you are rooted to. It could be a very strong term to use but when someone is looking to move to another country in order to benefit from a greater quality of life, there is going to be an imbalance somewhere.
Homesickness can arise from a couple of things:
1. Feeling like you are out of your depth. Moving somewhere new is overwhelming because of the cultural component. Many people move to another country for love, and therefore, they have someone that can give them a great sense of support and make sure that they are easing into a new way of life. However, there are major gulfs in terms of cultural differences that, even though their partner can help to bridge the gap, it is not going to stop the person moving from feeling like they are on their own. In many ways, they are, because they are the anomaly, the different person, the individual that is sticking out like a sore thumb because of their accent. This is why many people choose to change and adopt mannerisms and patois as a way to fit in.
2. The sudden removal of the people that matter. Feeling homesick can also arise from the fact that when you leave something, you have an inherent understanding that you are, in essence, taking the rug out from underneath you. Moving to another country gives you a whole new perspective. When everything and everyone is taken from you because you left, you might think that these are people and places that will be there for you when you return. The reality is that life moves on. We can move 10 miles away from where we are and we can choose to spend a lot of time away, but we can return to find that things aren't what they used to be. A lot of people don't leave their hometown for this very reason, because they are fearful of change. When we move on, we've got to expect that life is something that should chop and change. Homesickness can be a longing for something familiar.
Can Moving to Another Country Make Us Happier?
There are countless examples of individuals who have made the leap to another country and it's because they didn't feel comfortable in their own skin, either because they grew up in an environment that felt alien to them or had a disruptive childhood. For many people, that concept of home doesn't occur to them until they go out into the world and search for it. People look to another country as the answer to their problems.
The difficult aspect of moving away is all in preparation. People don't necessarily have the finances to try out a country for size. They are leaping into the unknown. This is why people who are looking to improve their lives and move for love; it’s the reason they are choosing to make massive changes in their lives. This can be a gamble. But arguably making any big change in your life is a gamble because you don't know how you are going to settle in; it can take a number of years for you to truly feel like you are comfortable in a new environment. Therefore, we've got to move based on our fundamental needs.
To be very philosophical, the five levels of Maslow's pyramid cover self-actualization, esteem, love and belonging, safety, and physiological needs. When fundamental needs are all met, the individual moves on to the next level. The theory behind the pyramid is that when the lower parts of the hierarchy are satisfied, people can then attend to the higher needs. And this is a model we can apply to move to another country. Physiological needs such as water, food, shelter, and sleep are vital, but then, safety needs like personal security, health, and property need to be next. After this comes love and belonging with friendship, family, and a sense of connection; after that is esteem, including freedom, status, and respect; and finally, the desire to become the most that one can be through self-actualization can be met.
If an individual is able to achieve the majority of these by moving to another country this can be a no-brainer. We need to move for the purpose of growth. The reality is that many people don't move for this reason at all. Applying this pyramid can give you a far better understanding of what you should do to make yourself happy and fulfilled before you immigrate. The pyramid also can stymie your progress because of different life experiences. For example, people can move abroad for love but find themselves getting divorced so they end up moving back home, and, therefore, people start to fluctuate between levels in the pyramid.
The reality is that moving to another country can open us up to a world of possibility. Moving by yourselves is an easier decision to come to, but we still have people who will depend on us indirectly. While many people are in a position where they look to be more fulfilled and live a better quality of life, especially in light of the current environment, the answer to the question if emigrating can actually give you a better life is yes, but it depends. There is a myriad of components to bear in mind with many beyond our means.
