Whether you're an expat building a new life in a different country, a digital nomad working across time zones, or a long-term traveller navigating the world on your own terms - life abroad is rich in experiences, exciting, and at times, quietly exhausting. This Mental Health Awareness Week, APRIL International has put together five simple, science-backed actions you can try anytime, wherever in the world you are.
Why Mental Health Matters for People Living Abroad
The freedom of living abroad comes with a side of complexity that doesn't always make it into the travel blogs. A new language, a new bureaucracy, unfamiliar healthcare systems, and the loneliness of being far from the people who know you best. Research consistently shows that expats and digital nomads face distinct mental health pressures - and that small, consistent habits can make a meaningful difference to how they cope.
Mental Health Awareness Week, organised by the Mental Health Foundation, which runs from 11 to 17 May 2026, is the perfect moment to check in with yourself and try something new. This year's theme from the Mental Health Foundation is ‘Action’ - encouraging everyone to take action for their own mental health, for the people around them, and for society.
“Many people recognise that sleep, exercise and a balanced diet are essential for physical health - but they're just as important for our mental wellbeing. Simple habits like staying socially connected, practising mindfulness and taking time for yourself can make a meaningful difference.”
- Dr Sonia Sabanowski, Regional Head of Medical, APRIL International
Five Quick Actions to Boost Your Mental Health
These tips come from the Mental Health Foundation's guidance for Mental Health Awareness Week 2026. Each one is simple, accessible, and particularly relevant if you're living or working far from home.
1. Head Outside
One of the great gifts of life abroad is that you're often surrounded by places to explore. But when you're heads-down in work, especially if you're freelancing from a flat or grinding through a difficult week, it's easy to go days without leaving the building.
Even a five-minute walk makes a measurable difference. Spending time in nature is linked to lower cortisol levels, improved mood and better concentration, and that includes a street with a few trees, a courtyard, or a balcony. The goal isn't a hike. It's just getting outside.
Try it now: close your laptop, put your shoes on, and step outside for five minutes. Come back and notice whether something has shifted.
2. Try a Breathing Exercise
When stress hits - a difficult client, a visa complication, a lonely evening in a city where you haven't yet found your place or people - your nervous system responds by going into overdrive.
A breathing exercise is the fastest reset available to you, and it works anywhere: a café, an airport, a co-working space, your bed at 2 am. Breathe in slowly, hold for a few seconds, and breathe out slowly. Even a minute of focused breathing can help make you feel calmer.
3. Phone a Friend
Expat loneliness is real and it doesn't get talked about enough. You can be surrounded by amazing new experiences and still miss your loved ones deeply. So this one is simple, just call someone you know or miss.
Research is clear that social connection is one of the most protective factors for mental health. And while a WhatsApp message is better than nothing, an actual phone or video call - where you hear someone's voice, laugh together, talk properly - has a measurably stronger effect on mood and wellbeing.
Don't wait until you're really struggling to reach out. Call someone today – they’ll be glad you did, and so will you.
4. Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine
Travelling a lot can completely disrupt your sleep cycle - jet lag, new places, blue light exposure from late-night scrolling, because you're lonely or overstimulated from a new city. A bedtime routine sounds basic, but it is honestly one of the highest-impact things you can do for your mental health.
The good news is that you don't need a perfect sleeping environment. You need a consistent pre-sleep ritual that signals to your brain it's time to wind down. It can be as simple as making a chamomile tea, putting your phone in another room, and reading for 20 minutes. Three things, done in the same order, every night.
You don't need a perfect routine. You need a consistent one. Even just two things you do in the same order every night will change how you sleep and how you feel the next day.
5. Be Kind to Yourself
This is the last tip - and arguably the most important one, especially for people living abroad.
Take a second to think about your day - what you did do, not what you didn’t. Even the small things count.
We’re so quick to move on without giving ourselves credit… so pause and take it in. You’re doing better than you think.
The Science Behind Small Actions
The five tips above aren't just feel-good suggestions - there's solid neurological reasoning behind why consistent, small actions work so well for mental health.
“What we often overlook is the power of consistency. Small, manageable actions each day are far more effective than occasional big efforts. From a neurological perspective, even minor achievements trigger reward pathways in the brain, reinforcing positive behaviours over time. The real key to lasting health is building a gentle, sustainable routine.”
- Dr Sonia Sabanowski, Regional Head of Medical, APRIL International
This is why the five actions in this guide are deliberately small. They're not designed to transform your mental health overnight - they're designed to be so achievable that you actually do them. Consistently. And that consistency, over time, is where the real change happens.
