Coping Strategies for After You Leave

For both people who can’t wait to leave and those who would have liked to stay longer, parting with Japan should be done in a way that will give a sense of closure and reassurance.

Know what to expect before you leave Japan.  It helps to prepare ahead of time, rather than panic when you suddenly realize you are unprepared!

- Expect a rise in stress levels among fellow leavers AND non-leavers. 

- Anticipate that you, your homeland and/or your friends may have changed…

  or may have remained exactly the same.

- Expect difficulties and that people around you may not understand or expect.

- Realize that others may not want to hear about your experiences in Japan.

People may ask about your adventure only to interrupt with their own. 

Take some time to reflect on your life in Japan.  Think about how your time in Japan may make your life in your home country easy and how it may make it difficult. Preparing information for your successor will help you do this.   Alternatively, make a list of things you like about Japan and things you think you might miss.  Look over your Japan list and try to see what things you can take with you.  Some things might be better left here, while some things might really help you at home. 

Explore your feelings about leaving Japan.  Ignoring your emotions won’t make them easier to deal with and it definitely won’t make them go away.  Are you optimistic or pessimistic about returning?  Are you excited about starting a new phase of your life?  Do you feel that your experience in Japan has been worthwhile and that now it is time to move on?  Are you dreading your return home, as your lifestyle in Japan is more satisfying than the one you left? 

Find out how your home has changed in your absence.  Realize that you may not have accurate recollections of your home.  Recognize its social and physical changes.  You may be out-of-date.  Consider subscribing to your local newspaper again or catching up with the local and national news online.  Find out what movies, music and TV shows are popular. You’ll be surprised how much conversation revolves around these topics!  Research your home as you did Japan before you came. 

Explore how you have changed from your experience.  You have become a more multi-cultural person.  Think about what changes might have occurred in your social behavior.  Do not try to go back to the “old you,” and realize that others may not be immediately able to recognize the “new you.”  Relationships may be more demanding than before.  Your friends may seem a bit narrow minded or boring.

Write down things you miss about home, and keep this list in a safe place for later reference. If you start to feel homesick for Japan when you get home, get out your home country list and remember all the things you missed about it while you were away.

Maintain ties with Japan through friendships, correspondences, visits, classes, JETAA, etc. Remember that you still have a support network in Japan. Talk to your friends here about what you are going through - chances are they are thinking similar things.  You can always call up one of your PAs if you want to talk over anything.  The Peer Support Group (8:00 PM- 7:00 AM 0120-437-725) is also still there for you.

Get lots of rest.  It is enough to deal with being home without the strain of jet-lag!

Make long-term goals. These will help motivate you in your work and enhance your relationships.  Explore work or study options in your home country.  Research various groups that are of interest to you.  Look for ways to use your Japanese knowledge.

Seek out a sympathetic listener with whom you can vent frustrations.  You may experience boredom, apathy, loneliness, alienation, anxiety and/or depression.

Maintain your sense of humor.  Realize that you will no longer get the special treatment (good and bad) that you got in Japan.  You may be amused to find that many of the customs that you thought were perfectly normal now seem strange.  Re-entry is a time for you to go through a great deal of adjustment and try to integrate your experience in Japan into the larger scope of your life. 

Be patient. Realize that getting set up at home may take time.  It may take you months or even years to process how living in Japan has affected and changed you.  It is perfectly normal to feel stressed out during this time of readjustment, but just as you did in Japan, you will begin to feel at home again soon enough.