5 BAD HABITS THAT OVERSEAS WORKERS NEED TO QUIT

What is one of the major concerns you have in mind when you travel to a foreign country as an expatriate, particularly when the purpose is to support your family back home financially? It, indeed, revolves around how to transfer money back home, given the abundance of options at your disposal.

Think about it sometime, and you will realize that it essentially is a point that drives you into overthinking. And if not attended to promptly, it can turn into a bad habit that can land you in trouble.

A brief background about bad habits hampering your progress as an expatriate

Most of the migrant workers hail from developing countries whose economies are not strong enough to provide for the people, which pushes large swathes of people into unemployment leading to poverty.

It makes putting food on the table difficult, let alone meeting other basic necessities, including education, healthcare, etc.

Therefore, the ones with means somewhat travel to other countries to find better employment opportunities so that they earn a reasonable income and support their family financially.

But to be more efficient and productive at your workplace on foreign shores, you are most likely to indulge in routines that can negatively affect you. If you are not aware of such routines, they have the potential to transform into your habits which over time become old and then eventually happen to fit the adage ‘old habits die hard squarely.’

This blog will shed light on a few bad habits that you must shun as an expatriate. 

Quick statistics about expatriates and their financial contribution pointing to a successful expatriate life

• UTE’s International Lounge has reported that there are about 230 million expatriates in the world, which constitutes around 3.1% of the total global population, and around 49% of the global expatriates are women.

• In 1960, the number of expatriates was only 73 million.

• With a growth rate of 5.9% in 2022, the total global remittances are likely to reach $774 billion, a report by Insider Intelligence stated.

• The same report projected the remittances’ growth rate to be 4.7% in 2023, with global remittances likely to reach $810.79 billion by the year-end.

These facts and figures are proof enough that the majority of the expatriates have successfully distanced themselves from the bad habits listed below to ensure an elongated stay abroad and lead a happy expatriate life by supporting their families back home through online money transfers.

Which bad habits must I shun and lead a happy expatriate life?

Being in the same jobs for quite a while can lead you to develop the following few habits that you do not even realize that you have fallen into.

The following list of those habits, however, will help you realize as well as shun them. 

Overthinking about the time that is yet to come

Overthinking first becomes a part of your routine, and then gradually, it becomes a habit that is dangerous. You begin to think and allocate a major portion of your time for things you can only speculate about and think about that are both out of your control and yet to happen.

You must adhere to the principle saying that one will cross the bridge when one comes to it. Thinking hard about how to cross a bridge before reaching it will render you unproductive and will impact your professionalism.

Mindless fidgeting looks terrible.

Clicking your pen or tapping the table, or jiggling your feet in the middle of a brainstorming session may appear harmless to you but not necessarily to your cubicle friend, who cannot help but notice every annoying move you make. Besides, these ‘harmless’ movements indicate your nervousness, which, if your seniors notice, can potentially hamper your professional growth and excellence.

Unprofessional dressing shows a ‘who-cares’ attitude.

You might work in a company that has a relaxed dress code, allowing you to dress at the workplace as you please and feel comfortable but never forget that your management does not necessarily see your dressing in the context of a ‘relaxed’ dress code. Therefore, going to your office in a tracksuit will not essentially mean you are being judged, but definitely, looking sloppy will not earn your management’s respect!

Going to work when you are sick is not really helpful

You believe you are doing a favour to your team and the company by going to the office even if you are sick, but keep in mind that you are not. Constant sneezing, coughing, and heavy breathing (remember that your colleagues can hear it all, too!) will irritate your colleagues.

In addition, going to work with a viral infection, etc., poses a grave and potential threat to the health of others too. So, the next time you are under the weather, consider yourself ailing and stay back or work from home if taking a leave or skipping is not an option.

Making noisy complaints is bad; write those down instead.

You never find an ideal work environment. There will always be something missing wherever you go to work. If you happen to work in a company where you feel like moaning about your salary, office supplies, clients, etc., consider writing it down to avoid creating unnecessary noise and give it a professional look. Because always keep in mind that if you are tired of hearing your voice, your colleagues are too!

Avoiding these five bad habits can help you excel professionally, and grow at your workplace regardless of where you work. 

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• UTE’s International Lounge

(Expat Population Worldwide – Ute's International Lounge (utesinternationallounge.com)

• Insider Intelligence

(Global Remittances Forecast 2022 - Insider Intelligence Trends, Forecasts & Statistics)