Life changes suddenly. How to accept and adapt to the new living environment and changes as quickly as possible?

Some data show that in the United States, people move on average every 7 years. For our immigrant group, it may be more frequent. The first period of adaptation is a bit painful for some friends. ?I personally moved to the United States when I was a teenager. After that, I moved almost every year, changing areas, cities, states, etc. due to school, work, or family members. So based on my many years of "wandering" experience, I have compiled 6 methods for you, whether you are changing jobs, moving, studying abroad, or immigrating, so that you can adapt to the changes in life and the new environment as soon as possible.

1. Suspension of resistance and nostalgia

The more you resist, the harder it is to resist. When we change to a new environment, especially when we are passive, resistance will naturally arise in our hearts. Because we have left the familiar life track that we are accustomed to, we will subconsciously generate hostility and put ourselves and the new life at risk. opposite. This kind of contradiction is actually very deceptive, and once resistance begins, it will gradually increase. For example, I just came to the United States with my family many years ago. I left behind my childhood best friends and the familiar dishes from my hometown. I struggled with everything around me almost every day. I went with the flow and brought this emotion to my family. And this led to more conflicts in other aspects. At this time, nostalgia further separates oneself from the present and reality. In this initial period, when one is deeply immersed in yearning for the past, most of what is produced is not a sense of happiness, but a sense of loss. So suspend all resistance and nostalgia, wait until you have let go, and then nostalgic again. Thinking of the past time will have a completely different feeling.

2. Eliminate preconceptions

For unfamiliar people and things, it is natural for us to easily draw conclusions or form preconceptions based on one-sided hearing in the past. Especially when we are still in the resistance stage mentioned above, most of our views at this time are biased. Sharing my personal experience: I moved from Manhattan, New York to Houston, Texas for a while. Although Houston is also a modern big city, it is developing very well in all aspects. However, with a one-sided understanding of the conflict between the very different cultures of the Northeast and the Southwest, I had prejudices about all aspects of life in Houston in the first month after moving here, and I would continue to look for facts to confirm it. own prejudices. Therefore, I will continue to stay in the "New Yorker" mode to examine everything around me. But after I truly accepted my new city, I found that the initial stereotypes were really different from the reality, and even felt a little childish and ridiculous. After eliminating stereotypes, you can look at everything more objectively, and it is easier to open your heart and let new identities and things enter your life.

3. Find a replacement object

In the familiar life track in the past, there must be something that can inspire our feelings about the past life. For example, hometown food, a familiar park, or a coffee shop that you often visit. These things are our projection points of the old environment in the past, and the simple and direct way is to find new replacement objects for these projection points.

For example, I am from Hunan. When I first went abroad, I felt that I could not eat authentic Hunan food anywhere outside of Hunan. But fortunately, I could still find local Hunan restaurants. Although it is definitely not as authentic as the local restaurants in Hunan, it can satisfy my craving when I am really homesick. There was a time when I felt that pizza and bagels from other places could not be considered after leaving New York, because I was used to it. When I finally found a pizza or bagel in Texas that was closest to the taste of New York, I would divide it. Extra surprise, cherish it even more. Then after a while, I discovered that a certain bench and dog park in the park near my home in Texas were similar to somewhere in New York, and then I discovered that there was a local latte made from coffee beans that tasted different from the one on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Up and down. As long as you are willing, you can find many alternatives, each of which will surprise you more. ?

4. Immediately find the advantages of a new environment/new life

When we stand on the opposite side of something, most of the time we only see this thing shortcomings.

And our sensibility drives us to constantly find new shortcomings. As the saying goes, the more you look at it, the more unpleasant it becomes! But what about the objective and rational you? From now on, tell yourself to immediately find the advantages of a new environment and new life. Once you find the first one, there will be a second one, and a steady stream of third ones will follow. After adjusting the angle, everything is different. In every city I've lived in, every job I've done has its own aura and beauty. The autumn in Boston is like a fairy tale, the lobster is super delicious, the old streets in Philadelphia are as evocative as cheese steak, the winter in Houston is warm, the BBQ is really delicious, and I can talk about every borough in New York for a whole time. sky. Food, clothing, housing, transportation, boss, teachers, colleagues, classmates, hobbies, outdoor activities, there are always a few things that can light up your heart and make you smile with joy.

5. Do things you love and are familiar with in a new environment

We will always be more comfortable and happy when we do things we love and are familiar with. So if you want to alleviate the discomfort caused by those new environments, continue to do things you love and are familiar with. Continue your original hobbies and extend your passion in a new environment. In a different environment, you can continue to draw, write, exercise, swim, play ball, play games, cook, bake, etc. You can even learn more and create new sparks. When I lived in the Northeast, I especially liked mountain climbing. Later, when I went to Houston for two years, it was all plains and there were no mountains to climb. So I extended my love for outdoor sports and learned to ride horses and shoot. Isn't it a new harvest?

6. Enjoy new experiences

If we adjust ourselves to a state of enjoyment, then everything is enjoyment. New environments and experiences are wealth! The discomfort and novelty in the initial adaptation stage are very limited, and you should enjoy it. Before I could eat authentic New York-style pizza in Houston, I could eat local authentic Texas barbecue, Mexican Dishes and so on. As the old saying goes: Once it comes, make peace with it. Because new things will eventually become accustomed and become dull, so you should enjoy this limited adaptation period. Not just accept it, but enjoy it!

The above are the 6 methods I have summarized through my own experience. I hope they can help you adapt to the new environment and new life as soon as possible. No matter where you are, you can have an open attitude, welcome and enjoy all new things in life.