Mindset - Why its important for travellers.

Make a choice to achieve something, commit and stay consistent and manifest your success by focussing on your mind.

“Change the way you look at things and the way you look at things change.”

— Wayne Dyer

What is Mindset?

Mindset is a ‘way of thinking’ and opinions. This way of thinking predetermines your response to and interpretation of situations. How you perceive things.

Travelling exposes you to an extensive array situations, people and circumstances that helps you to broaden your way of thinking and approach life with a more open mindset.

Upon returning home its easy to see how much you have changed as many of those around you still have a similar mindset to your old one.

But it can also be difficult if you experience the reverse culture shock, to build a mindset that really supports you through the transition and thats what Im going to be talking about today.

3 steps to creating your mindset

1. Make a choice of achieve something (a goal) and get clear about what that looks like for you.

2. Commit and stay consistent.

3. Manifest your success by focusing your mind.

Links

• Related Blogs: Success through focus // Change...how to really make it work for you.
• Ep3: Mike Richardson - Adventure sports athlete cultivating unshakeable self belief. 
• What is beach flags?

What emotions you will face when returning from long term travel.

The top 6 emotions people face when experiencing Reverse Culture Shock.

Top emotions you can expect to face

• Unease, unsettled and sadness, empty
• Excited and happy
• Lost, trapped, confused
• At first it's nice to catch up with friends and family
• Dull and boring, flat, mundane

Tips to work through these emotions.

Unease, unsettled and sadness, empty.

Tip: journal write about this, talk to those close to you, seek help, other things you can do.

Excited and happy.

Tip: embrace this feeling and emotions and really step into it. Start to find a focus that makes you want to get up for every day career, project, hobby, relationship, lifestyle.

Lost, trapped, confused.

Tip: determine where this feeling is coming from may be through Journal write, meditation, turn inwards for answers. What area of your life do you feel this way career, finance, relationships, health.

At first it's nice to catch up with friends and family.

Tip: don’t let this be the only place. Meet them where they are at and don’t expect that everyone will relate and understand your experience. Be interested in what they have been doing in their life whilst you have been away.

Tip: know that some relationships will change, continue to seek new relationships and friendships with like minded people, it is something you would have done on your time abroad so keep embracing it. Know that you too have changed a great deal so some relationships will change. It’s ok to let go of relationships that no longer serve you.

Dull and boring, flat, mundane

Tip: find a focus, seek newness in your own home, how can you bring inspirations from your travels into your home life, adventure every day.

Links

• Related Blogs: Top emotions people face after returning home. // The Wanderlusters hangover.
• Ep12: Jo Parker - Shaping her life during 12 months in Denmark. Jo shares some tips on RCS.

Pip Honour - A wellness journey and a travelling adventure.

Creating a confident body image, mindset and setting up her own business during her travels through Europe, South Africa, India and Sri Lanka.

About Pip

Pip Honour is a Wellness Coach and Meditation Teacher. She works with women 1:1 and in groups to help them create more Confidence, Clarity and Calm in their worlds. Her work is grounded in the belief that transforming your mindset will create positive and lasting change.

Pip went on a six month adventure spending 2 months in Europe - Italy, Croatia, France, Germany and Hungary, 1 month in South Africa, 1 month in India and 1 month in Sri Lanka before returning to Australia to grow her life coaching business.

“What I’ve experienced is to be treasured by me.”

— Pip Honour

When coming home...

• Emotions Pip faced - Excitement and nervousness although felt ready to return home. Deflated. Frustration.
• What had changed - Her work and work environment from corporate to her own business. Not having a regular monthly pay check.
• How Pip supported herself - She got a puppy and took time to be appreciative for everything she had.
• How did her mindset change - Gained perspective. She didn't need a lot to live life.
• 3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock

1. Continue to be open minded and be considerate of others.
2. We get to choose how we create our life.
3. Remain present.

• Advise to herself for returning home - Consistancy and routine is so important and also plan your next trip to keep your adventure alive.

“By going on this big overseas trip, I felt a real sense of perspective and the simple life that I really want to create.”

— Pip Honour

Links

Website: www.piphonour.com Scroll to the bottom of Pips home page to access your Self Retreat Freebie from Pip.

Pips Instagram: @piphonour

Facebook: piphonour

“We are our own creators and we get to make our own decisions and when we sit in this space its really really empowering.”

— Pip Honour

What is Reverse Culture Shock?

What you can expect and the different phases when your transitioning through Reverse Culture Shock.

What is Reverse Culture Shock?

Is a upsetting and disturbing feelings and emotions experienced by some people upon returning home from spending a significant time overseas.

Signs that you could be experiencing reverse culture shock.

• You have changed and notice that you don’t relate as well to old friends and those around you.
• You feel alone as if there is no one who understands
• You feel bored
• You're living in your past travels and experience far too often
• You compare your current situation to your past experience overseas
• You only think about the good things of your travels or time abroad

Different phases of this transition.

• Realisation of the return home
• Initial excitement for landing back in your motherland
• Denial of your return home
• Unhappiness, Misery, Gloom, Melancholy and sometimes depression
• Frustraion about your position
• Adjusting adapting and experimenting
• Owning your decision to return home
• Integration, finding purpose and meaning

Links

• Related Blog: Reverse culture shock - what you can expect.
• Ep9: Julianna Barnaby - Soul searching in Central America

Aimee Wilson - Trusting herself and following her passion of working with horses.

1.5 years abroad working at summer camp in the U.S. and in London, coming home and following her true desires.

About Aimee

Aimee is a Life Coach, Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator, Speaker, Sacred Space holder and super passionate about the power of working with horses.

Aimee took off to work at a Summer Camp in the United States. She then travelled to London and returned to the States for another summer. Upon returning home she found her partner, her passion and started a new life.

Aimee is now an Intuition & Embodiment Coach who encourages women to listen to their inner voice, unblock their fears, and pursue the things that are calling to them from deep within.

“I started with what I knew.”

— Aimee Wilson

When coming home...

• Emotions Aimee faced - Unsure if she should continue travelling. Felt like the time to go home. Strange, like she had not been away. Things were the same. It felt good to be home but also felt mundane. Aimee felt lost.
• What had changed - Nothing had changed! Had a better sense of self. Tried to recreate the travelling vibe by moving to the snow.
• Biggest stress - No clear career path, no money or savings.
• How Aimee supported herself - Starting with what she knew and went back to hospitality work.
• How did her mindset change - Positive mindset and being able to rely on herself.
• 3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock

1. Trust yourself
2. I had inner strength that I could use and rely on.
3. I was capable

• Advise to herself for returning home - Not much as there is so much learning on the journey. It will all be ok. Trust your passions and what lights you up, dont just do whats expected.

“I came home with a much more positive mindset because you have to rely on yourself to figure stuff out.”

— Aimee Wilson

Links

Website: www.helloyescoaching.com

Nikola Instagram: @helloyescoaching

Facebook: helloyescoaching

“You find people more like you, which gives you more confidence.”

— Aimee Wilson

Jo Parker - Shaping her life during 12 months in Denmark.

Finding freedom and purpose in her life at sixteen years old whilst on Rotary exchange.

About Jo

Johanna Parker is a heart-centred life, confidence and public speaking coach, international speaker and MC, life coach trainer, authenticity-advocate, travel junkie and founder of her personal empowerment business, Heart Sparks. 

Hailed by Women’s Fitness Magazine as a ‘positivity expert’, over the past ten years she has empowered thousands of young people and adults across not-for-profit, local government, education and community settings to become more connected to themselves, to confidently embrace their uniqueness, to bravely honour their voice and to build incredible, purposeful lives all over the world.

She is an avid traveller who caught the travel bug at a very young age and successfully built an location-independent business that nurtures her love of wandering while still allowing her to call Australia home.

“I just kept showing up and really threw myself into learning the language and connect with people.”

— Jo Parker

When coming home...

• Emotions Jo faced - Resisted thinking about returning home. Looming expiry date of trip. Jo felt displaced, alone, misunderstood, sad and confused for 9-12 months after returning home.
• What had changed - Felt like the world had stopped. Everything had changed but Jo felt grateful for the experience. 
• How Jo supported herself - Aligned with anything that connected with who she really was. Maintaining relationships in Denmark, talking to those who were excited about her travels. When she was feeling sad, she gave herself space to process the feelings.
• 3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock

1. Reverse culture shock is a real thing, its a natural part of travel so take the pressure off.
2. Home is on the inside, home is wherever you are.
3. The relationship that you have with yourself is paramount.

• Advise to herself for returning home - Everything will be ok, you can always choose to do something different and you have the power and the control to change things.

Jos tips for dealing with Reverse Culture shock.

• Recognise what it looks like feels like sounds like.
• Take the pressure off.
• Find people who you relate too.
• Be willing to speak up if you are struggling.
• Follow 'sparks' of what feels interesting.
• Know that if you return to where you travel.

“Denmark taught me that I wanted to work with people and that I loved working with and meeting new people.”

— Jo Parker

Links

Website: www.heartsparks.com.au

Jos Instagram: @heart_sparks

Facebook: HeartSparksbyJo

“I make space for adventure...in whatever form that looks like.”

— Jo Parker

Cover and above photos: Eyes of Love Photography