Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
•
Give yourself closure: say a proper goodbye to your friends and colleagues.
•
Take a break: when you get home, take at least a few days off.
•
Write: writing can be a cathartic experience and can help order your thoughts. If
you have experienced some life-changing or difficult events, write about them.
•
Avoid indulgences and rash behaviour: avoid self-indulgence in alcohol, drugs,
and food - these comforts make you feel good in the short-term but are guaranteed
not to help your recovery process. Also try to avoid making rash decisions; you
may feel bored and want to accept the first offer that comes your way, but it is best
to be patient and let your emotional state settle.
“Usually you will settle down quickly, depending on certain factors such as the effective-
ness of your coping strategies and the extent of your overseas experiences. The experiences
from your international assignment are likely to become incorporated into your values and
the way you live. You may find yourself drawing on them to inform your decisions and
thoughts, and when advising others.
“If, after a few months, you have not settled after your return we recommend you talk
to
a
trustworthy
friend
or
a
psychological
health
professional.
You
can
email
phs@interhealth.org.uk
for further advice.”
The length of time you've been away makes no difference to the feelings you go through
on your return and even after six months you may still need time to adjust.”
We've talked to people who've taken a two-week leave of absence from work through their
company's charitable foundation and to people who've spent a year or more away. They all
report coming back and finding themselves looking at everything through fresh eyes and
questioning the importance of various aspects of homelife that they have previously taken
for granted.
On average, it seems to take about three months between stepping off that last plane after a
gap and getting back into life's routines. To start with, a commonly-reported phenomenon
is the odd sensation of the body decelerating while the brain's still on the move. So, after
the first three weeks of initial euphoria and sharing, be prepared to come down to earth
with a bump.
Having said all that, though, try and remember that you have done something really amaz-
ing. Yes, you'll be back home and missing your life on the road, but think how lucky you
were to have had the chance to do something that most people only dream of.
What do you do now?
This one depends on what you had planned before you left and whether the option is still
there - and if you still want to do it - once you're back.
