Life In Australia

There are many reasons why we may not take care of ourselves, or may delay taking care of ourselves, when living abroad. Here are some of them:

1. We may not have the time or energy. Establishing yourself in a new country can be a full-time job! Between visits to the immigration office; phone calls and appointments to get many things sorted out in your new country; and tying up loose ends in your home country, is it any wonder that you have so little time to yourself and so little energy to enjoy it?
2. You may be unsure of your entitlements to healthcare in your new country. It may be difficult to find out whether or not you are entitled to health coverage under the national healthcare system. Once you find out that you are entitled to coverage, it may be limited coverage or you may need to jump through further bureaucratic hoops before you can access healthcare services. All of this takes time and energy and can prevent us from taking good care of ourselves.
3. If you have private health insurance, there may be waiting periods for some or all claims. This may cause you to delay seeking treatment because you may not be able to afford to pay the full cost of care (on top of your insurance premium and after the all expenses of moving from one country to another).
4. You may feel a bit insecure and perhaps a bit like a second class citizen (I have felt like this). This can make you hesitant in finding out about your entitlements and the services available.
5. Without an adequate support network in your new country, you may find it hard to take time out for yourself while someone else looks after your children or you may find it difficult to attend healthcare appointments because of family commitments.

I’m sure that there are many more reasons why we may not take care of ourselves as expats. Some would be specific to the country you are living in and others would be more general reasons applying to expats worldwide. I would be very interested to read your comments.