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My adjustment curve

Mapping the ups and downs of settling in a new country

Living abroad: migratory grief and homesickness · worksheet 47

Settling in a new country is not a straight line. There are often highs (discovery), lows (tiredness, loneliness) and recoveries. Your curve is unique: draw it.

Before you start

  • What it is for: To see your settling-in over time, with its ups and downs, and spot what helped you recover.
  • About 20 minutes. Keep a calendar or photos to hand if they help you remember dates.
  • Almost everyone goes through highs and lows when settling in another country: the excitement at the start, the slump, gradual adjustment. It is not a straight line.
  • A low point doesn’t mean you made the wrong decision.

Prefer paper? Download the PDF to print (with a page for psychologists).

What to do with your results

The dips don’t mean you have failed: they are common. What helped you recover is valuable: those are your resources to use again.

If you find it hard

If you are doing well, don’t try to predict a dip. If a dip lasts for weeks, talk to a professional.

To understand · Read the guide “Migratory grief”

For psychologists

The PDF also includes a page for the psychologist: how to run the exercise in session, points to watch and scientific references. You are free to use it with your clients.

For psychologists: aim, audience and duration
Normalise the emotional ups and downs of adjusting to a new country (enthusiasm, disillusion, adjustment) by drawing one’s own curve, without locking it into a single model.
First months or years abroad, international students, accompanying partners. Duration: 15-20 min in session.

References
Oberg, K. (1960). Cultural shock: Adjustment to new cultural environments. Practical Anthropology, 7(4), 177-182.
Ward, C., Bochner, S. & Furnham, A. (2001). The Psychology of Culture Shock (2nd ed.). Routledge.

These worksheets do not replace therapy. If you are in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call your local emergency number (112 in Europe; 3114 in France, free, 24/7).

Free worksheet for non-commercial use: you may share it with credit to the author, without modifying it (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence).

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Gonzalo Garzo, clinical psychologist

Gonzalo Garzo, clinical psychologist

A psychologist since 2018, I work with people online (in English, French or Spanish) and at my practice in La Rochelle, using third-wave CBT and EMDR. These worksheets help you move forward; if you need support, the first contact (20 min) is free.