How to Find Meaningful Work After Relocating

One of the common frustrations among trailing spouses and partners is the inability to find meaningful work once you relocate. Especially if you've given up a job you love, and are now confronted with days full of nothing to do, the lack of a job can become a source of great distress. If you've moved overseas, as a trailing spouse, you may be legally unable to seek paid work. The other complaint I hear from trailing spouses is the inability to find meaningful work. Here's why this experience is distressful. If you gave up a job, your role will change from financial provider to financial dependent. This can be disorientating, humbling, and cut into morale and confidence. With no job to show up for, you may feel bored and frustrated if you don't know what activities exist, and end up having a lot more time at home than you want. All these factors can easily lead up to you becoming angry, demotivated, and unhappy after relocating. Here are a few tips to avoid becoming demotivated and depressed on the work front. Take a look at what you love doing and figure out how to keep doing it. What you loved doing back home may or may not have been your day job. What are the things you absolutely loved doing - think about hobbies, interests, skills you loved using, people you liked to be with, etc - and figure out if you can create work using any of these, or find employment that utilizes any of these skills and interests. Redefine what is meaningful to you. If, say, it's important to you to help others, and you used to work in a hospital, see if you might be able to find a different way to help people. You still can do something that will be of personal importance, you'll just be reaching different people. Be creative in putting your skills and passions to use. Whatever interests come forward from the points above, think about different ways to put them to work. If you're used to being in a corporate setting, you may have to adjust to a non-corporate environment. And, even if you don't get paid for your work, volunteer opportunities are a wonderful way to do something you enjoy, help others, meet new friends, and you never know what opportunities this could lead to!