When you move from place to place as an expat, everything is different. Your 
work is different, your relationship with your colleagues is different, your colleagues are different, the way of life is different, the culture is different, etc, etc, etc. The only thing that stays pretty much the same is your family that comes with you.
The differences and changes we go through as we move often produce a lot of stress for both you and your family. And since our outlets for stress are frequently those closest to us, many times we take our frustrations out at our spouses and our children. And they, in turn, take their frustrations out at us.
These frustrations and the fights/misunderstandings/pain they cause act as underground water currents that slowly destroy the foundation of your home. How can you stop these currents from damaging your relationships?
One way to do it would be to find another outlet for your stress. Hire a coach and you’ll realize that the coaching fee you’ll spend will be an investment that will keep paying by making your family stronger.
Another way to do it is to go back to the basics. Make a point of returning to those moments that initially brought you together (if this is your spouse) or those moments that you look back at with happiness (if it’s your kids and your spouse). Re-visit those moments together — find that magic again. Remember those meaningful connections. And then decide together – what do you want your next chapter to be? And how do you want it to be?
For more on relationships while an expat, you can read this post:
Trailing and not failing: how our relationships can sustain us in expatriation?
For all the letters in the A to Z of Successful Expatriation™ click here.
And remember to check out our on-line courses on Culture Shock, 7 Habits of a Happy Expat and on Cross-Cultural Training at the Global Coach Center Academy!
Copyright © 2010 by Global Coach Center. If you’d like to reprint this, please do so but make sure you credit us (with a live link)!
Tagged: Expat, expatriate, Happiness, International Partnerships, money, Moving, overseas, Relationships, Relocation, TCK, Third Culture Kids, Transitions
