Expat life is rife with opportunities for our thoughts to become a little chaotic. Our head may be filled with more “internal chatter” than usual. And how wouldn’t it be?

In a new country, even basic errands, such as grocery shopping or driving through town, suddenly become more complex. The unfamiliar environment and cultural ambiguities can prompt all sorts of questions, uncertainties and conflicted emotions. Not to mention that the packing / unpacking / getting settled phases are sure to put our problem-solving and organizational skills to the test!

When too many random thoughts are bouncing around your head, you may have trouble concentrating and staying focused. You may feel scattered, overwhelmed and stressed out. Important tasks may fall through the cracks. How can we deal with that?

Here are a few techniques that work well for me:
- Meditation, Yoga or other practices that allow me to focus on my breathing and still my mind
- Staying in the present. Narrowing down my focus to the present moment helps me select one thought at a time. I can then explore it further (or decide that it is not worth my time), release it and move onto another thought. No mulling over the past, no projecting into the future. Just the here and now. This is my go-to technique when my thoughts and emotions are all over the place
- Putting it out on paper. Rather than trying to keep everything in my head, I write it down and get it out of my mind. I use a variety of tools, from good old To-Do lists and day planners to Mind Maps and Priority matrixes. Writing or journaling are also very useful for working through complex or confusing emotions
- Talking to my coach. Nothing helps me keep my priorities straight like using my coach as my sounding board and personal strategist. Find someone you can trust to be objective and firm, yet upbeat and gentle. Talk through whatever preoccupies you. Set specific objectives for your conversation: do you want an action plan, greater clarity or a different perspective? What about all three?

Notice when your inner chatter become distracting. Identify the patterns.
Does it become louder when you are trying to do too much at once? When you are in an unfamiliar situation? When you are worried?
If you have found ways to keep it under control, please share your helpful tips with us!

Emmanuelle