Acceptance & Resilience

The most difficult yet the most powerful

Photo by Jacob Rice on Unsplash

It’s almost a year since I moved to a new country with a new work environment, responsibilities, habits, and lifestyle. The journey wasn’t easy at first. My boat was rocked pretty hard and I had difficulty adjusting to my new life. However, over time, I have improved and now find myself able to say, “Living in this new country isn’t bad.”

With things getting better, I can reflect on my past struggles and realize that those problems, which once seemed overwhelming, were actually milestones that add into my personal growth journey. Let me tell you a short story about how I adapted to my new work environment in Singapore.

Last year, in 2023, I moved to Singapore to follow my partner and had the opportunity to transfer to my current company’s Singapore branch. Despite being in the same company with familiar culture and responsibilities, I experienced significant culture shock. I constantly felt that I was underperforming, which took a toll on my well-being, both physically & mentally. One reason it was so daunting was that I had been a good performer back then in my previous role. I had confidence in my abilities, but that confidence plummeted in this new working environment, leaving me feeling incapable. Even simple action, like making small talk with colleagues, felt challenging as…