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How Positive Psychology Can Support Expats During Relocation
Relocating to another country is often described as an exciting opportunity, but for many expats it is also emotionally demanding in ways they didn’t anticipate. Even when the move is voluntary and well planned, relocation affects daily routines, relationships, identity, and one’s sense of competence. This is why intercultural communication skills alone are often not enough. To truly support expats during relocation, we also need to address psychological well-being, resilience, and meaning — the core focus of positive psychology.
In my previous blog post, I explored how positive psychology strengthens intercultural communication training and cultural intelligence. In this article, I want to take that conversation one step further and make it concrete: how positive psychology helps expats cope, adapt, and grow during international relocation, based on research and real-life patterns I see in coaching.
Relocation Stress Is Individual – and That’s Good News
One of the most persistent myths about relocation is that everyone goes through culture shock in the same way. Research following expats, international students, and people living abroad shows that this simply isn’t true. Some people feel more stressed over time, some feel fairly stable, and others actually feel better as time goes on.
What this tells us is important: relocation stress is not a sign that something is wrong with you. People experience it differently, and it changes over time. Positive psychology helps expats move away from self-judgment and toward curiosity: What is this experience teaching me? What do I need right now to cope better?
In practice, this means that two people living in the same city, doing similar jobs, can have very different experiences. One may interpret challenges as proof they don’t belong, while another sees them as part of learning how life works in a new country. Positive psychology supports the second approach by helping people relate to challenges with more flexibility and self-compassion.
Feeling Better Helps You Adjust — Not the Other Way Around
A recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology shows that psychological well-being and cultural adjustment develop together. People who feel more grounded, reflective, and emotionally supported are better able to understand cultural differences and adapt to new environments.
This matters because many expats believe they will feel better once they have adjusted. In reality, it often works the other way around. When people support their well-being during relocation, through reflection, routines, and emotional awareness, they adjust more smoothly.
For example, an expat who regularly reflects on what the move is changing in them, rather than only focusing on external success, tends to feel more stable and less disconnected. This kind of reflection helps people keep a sense of continuity in who they are, even when everything around them feels new.
Resilience Is One of the Most Important Expat Skills
Relocation brings uncertainty: unfamiliar social rules, different communication styles, new expectations at work, and often a smaller support network. Research consistently shows that resilience plays a key role in how well expats adapt to these changes. Resilience doesn’t mean ignoring difficulties or forcing positivity. It means being able to recover from setbacks, stay emotionally flexible, and continue engaging with life even when things feel uncomfortable. Positive psychology offers practical ways to build this skill.
For instance, identifying personal strengths and using them intentionally can help expats feel more capable in unfamiliar situations. So can reminding oneself of past transitions that were difficult but ultimately manageable. These small mindset shifts support confidence and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Connection Matters More Than Getting Everything “Right”
One of the hardest parts of relocation is the loss of familiar relationships. Positive psychology highlights how important connection is for well-being, and this is especially true for expats. Feeling connected, even imperfectly, helps people cope with stress and makes cultural adjustment feel less heavy.
This doesn’t mean expats need to instantly build a large social circle. It often starts with small, meaningful interactions: regular coffee with a colleague, joining an activity that feels interesting rather than strategic, or staying emotionally connected to people back home without guilt.
Positive psychology encourages expats to approach relationships with curiosity rather than pressure.
Why Positive Psychology Belongs in Expat Support and Intercultural Work
Relocation is not only a cultural or logistical transition, it is a psychological one. Positive psychology complements intercultural communication and cultural intelligence by focusing on how people feel, cope, and make meaning while living between cultures. You don’t need to perform the culture perfectly. You need space to be human in it. It is about a shift from a survival mindset to a growth-oriented one.
This doesn’t mean denying real difficulties, for example when building new relationships. It means recognizing that relocation can also be a time of learning, personal growth, and deeper self-understanding. When expats are supported to reflect, build resilience, and care for their well-being, relocation becomes more than an adjustment task. It becomes a meaningful life phase.
We at Numinos Coaching are here to support and have supported expats around the world. Our coaching program utilizes positive psycholgy in a practical way. Learn more about our coaching approach and reach out to discuss more.
Tanja is a Certified Intercultural Communication Coach and Positive Psychology Practitioner. With a Master's Degree in Business Administration, specializing in Leadership and People Management, she helps companies and supports expats and multicultura team leaders in comprehending cultural dimensions and leveraging existing cultural differences to create powerful organizational strengths.
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