Best Free Guides to Help You Deal With the Ups and Downs of Expat Life
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Living abroad as an Australian woman can be an exhilarating experience, opening your world up to new cultures, new opportunities, and new adventures.
But let’s be real: it’s not all sunshine and Insta-worthy moments.
In my time living in London and then Barcelona, there were plenty of times when homesickness kicked in. Or when the bureaucracy made me want to pull my hair out. Or when cultural/language barriers made me feel completely isolated. (Who am I kidding — these things still happen from time to time!)
However, what really helped me get through was knowing I wasn’t alone. Talking to fellow expats, I realised we were all dealing with the same frustrations. And with a bit of online digging, I found some helpful resources shared by others who had been through it all — and wanted to make it easier for the rest of us.
That’s where these incredible (and free!) guides come in. They've made my life as an Aussie on the other side of the world that little bit easier, and I’m excited to share them with you.
Each one is packed with advice and support to help you thrive in your life overseas. So, if you’re struggling with culture shock, anxious about building a new life, or just need some practical advice to stay grounded, make sure to check them out.
Discover the Secrets to Overcoming Expat Frustration
“As a new expat, you will struggle. You will get frustrated. You may question your decision to move abroad. This free guide will help you navigate this challenging period so you can start living authentically abroad.”
This ebook was one of my favourite finds! It’s a cracking read, and completely relatable to boot. American expat Su Gillory brilliantly captures the all-too-familiar experience of viewing your new home through rose-coloured glasses — only to have that illusion quickly shattered by the realities of bureaucracy (amongst other challenges!).
Guiding you through the phases of culture shock and the ways that you can navigate it, this ebook is a must-have if you’re committed to adapting to your new country, and want some actionable advice on how to do that. (Side note: if you happen to be living in Italy, you might find some of Su’s other resources useful too!)
5 Strategies to Thrive as an International Woman
“Whether you are new to international life or are an experienced expat, the strategies below will help you to add more purpose, connection, and joy to your life.”
Linda Mueller is the expat coach behind this excellent free workbook, which suggests strategies to get the most out of your time abroad. With a different strategy to focus on each week, as well as journal prompts to help you gain clarity around their usefulness, this tool can help you make your experiences of life abroad more meaningful.
What’s great is that there’s specific advice for women at every stage of the expat journey, whether they’re new or experienced expats, or have even repatriated back home. With something for everyone, it’s by far one of the most versatile resources on this list!
8 Tips to Overcome a Language Barrier
“I know about dealing with the language barrier. It’s not always easy, I mean hell, it even left me temporarily homeless. But, it’s something you can get over or at least learn to live with if you follow these few tips.”
I can’t tell you how much I love this website. Apart from having a design that I can only dream of putting together with my rudimentary web building skills, A Way Abroad is packed with city guides, tips, and useful resources for women living abroad, from women living abroad. One of them is a downloadable freebie to help you overcome language barriers, based on founder Kat Smith’s own struggles having to adapt to four(!) different languages.
With anecdotes that normalise the awkwardness of communicating in an unfamiliar language, it’s definitely a fun read! But it also provides suggestions on how to get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable, creative ways to communicate, and tried-and-tested tools to help get you more confident with your new language.
9 Strategies to Overcome Expat Anxiety
“Follow the strategies in this PDF, and in only minutes you’ll learn how to reduce stress, anxiety and overwhelm in your life abroad.”
Gabriela Encina is a psychologist who has been through her fair share of expat challenges. She left behind her beloved Chile (as well as her family, culture, and a successful HR career) to join her partner in Austria, where she effectively had to start from zero.
In this free downloadable guide, she shares practical tips for dealing with anxiety as an expat, taking you through a checklist of steps you can take to tackle it head-on.
Her website is also full of articles and resources that focus on helping expats through the mental health challenges they may face, empowering them to gain confidence in their new life overseas.
Pack your Career: Expat Partner Career Planning Ebook
“Quitting your job and joining your partner abroad does not need to end your professional career.”
Share the Love is a blog that focuses on supporting partners of expats who are relocated abroad. If that’s you, you might be wondering what that means for your career — and whether or not it will need to take a backseat. According to Katharina (Kate), the German-born expat coach behind the website: no, it doesn’t!
This resource is one of the most comprehensive I’ve come across, outlining a wide range of psychological, cultural, and practical factors to keep in mind as you adapt to your new home.
What really sets it apart, though, is its focus on career planning, and on helping you overcome any professional challenges you might come up against (such as re-entering the workforce after maternity leave, or pivoting to a new career if continuing your former career is not an option).
There’s plenty of research to back it all up, as well as some uplifting stories of women who’ve been through the same. It’s really inspiring stuff.
Wheel of Expat Life
“This coaching exercise helped me to steer my full, busy & demanding expat life into the direction I desired.”
When I was researching different resources, one concept I kept coming across was the Wheel of Life. It’s a personal development tool to help individuals evaluate how satisfied or fulfilled they are in different life categories, and identify areas that need more attention.
Amanda Maxime — a former diplomat who has lived in several different countries — uses this framework in her free coaching resource, which has been tailored to reflect the expat experience. She recommends it for anyone whose life might appear full and vibrant on the outside, but senses something missing beneath the surface.
You’ll get a step-by-step guide on how to complete the Wheel of Life evaluation exercise. The result is a handy visual representation of your Wheel to help you pinpoint your priorities and lead a more fulfilling life abroad.
Thrive Wherever You Are
“Would you like to thrive rather than manage? Below you’ll find everything you need to know to thrive abroad.”
If anyone is familiar with the emotional rollercoaster of expat life, it’s Lucy Bolin. Having moved 29 times across 18 different cities, she knows about the challenges of “finding meaning in the leaving and coming” all too well.
That’s why her ebook is filled with lots of gentle encouragement, insightful advice, and tips for self-reflection. But it’s also packed with the more practical do’s and don’ts of adapting to a new life abroad, with some thought-provoking gems scattered along the way.
One particular theme that resonated with me was the idea that moving abroad changes you forever — to the point that you may never feel like you completely belong anywhere. But rather than viewing it as a negative thing, Lucy encourages you to embrace it as part of your personal growth journey. It’s powerful stuff.
Expat Blues + 5 Top Tips to Overcoming It
“Recent research on the topic shows that as many as 50% of all expats will suffer from depression or expat blues at some stage throughout their life abroad.”
As we know, life abroad can be lonely. However, there may be times when your feelings go beyond regular old homesickness. The “expat blues” describes a profound feeling of isolation and loneliness that’s similar to depression, and can lead to mental burnout.
In this guide, counsellor and psychotherapist (and format expat) Henriette Johnsen takes you through why the expat blues occur, who is most at risk, and the symptoms to look out for. She also provides her top tips for dealing with them, and guidance on mental health services you can access to support you (including her own).
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
“This workbook is designed to help you think deeply about where you are right
now, where you want to be, and what’s most important to you.”
And here’s one last free guide to add to the list: our very own! If you’re thinking about moving back home to Australia but are in two minds about it, make sure you download our workbook. It takes you through all the big questions you need to ask yourself to help you make the right decision. You can download it right below:
I hope you find it useful and would love to know whether or not you did - just let me know in the comments below.
