As I have started this year great (I think so!), there is one thing that I would like to remind myself of and would like to make a habit whenever I get the chance of having a vacation: to celebrate instead of feeling sad about going back to work.
I now believe that it is just all about mindset. If you keep on telling yourself that it is a burden to work as an OFW, then it will also be the feeling that you will always have no matter how good your job is, no matter what country you are working in.
My husband and I have come to realize that going back home (or even to other places) should not be an escape from reality. It should be part of the reality of an OFW's life. If you want to really get out of this kind of life, then maybe find a way to free yourself from it for good--plan it out carefully, so you would not go back to the beginning of the road.
I am sharing this not because I am experiencing a better life now and that I don't feel for my fellow OFWs. I went through tough times, too. For two years, I've been crying almost every day, ranting about my stressful work, desperately wanting to get out of my then crap life. And even until now, there are times that I experience exhaustion. Well, getting tired is a part of life.
Gladly, I am able to overcome that struggle. And this is what I want to share with those OFWs that will get to read this, hoping that it would help you somehow.
Below are questions that I used to ask myself since my day 1 as an OFW. I had answers that I think are every "struggling" OFW's answers too. I realized that I need to change the way I answer them, because as I've said, it is all about mindset.
Q1: Why do I work abroad?
This is one question that most of us could quickly answer before leaving the country, but eventually forget once we are already abroad.
For most of us, we decide to work overseas to seek greener pasteur. We would like to give ourselves and our family better lives with the goal that someday we would go back to the Philippines to put up our own business so we wouldn't have to work as employees again.
We got to attend a financial awareness seminar recently, and the speaker said that he notices that Filipinos tend to forget their primary purpose of working abroad once an OFW starts earning their "non-Peso" money. The "someday" part of the goal usually perishes because of celebrating the "better life", rather the better salary they start to receive. The goal is gone, and so working abroad start to look like a trap that you could not get out of.
I realized that for us to have a lighter heart every time we go back for a vacation, we should remind ourselves that we decided to work abroad because we wanted a better future. And so set a realistic timeline for yourself on when you should be attaining your primary goal. Be it going back to the Philippines or going to another country, you must set a deadline and keep track of your milestones.
Also, when I ask myself this question now, I take time to go back to the list of my "to-buys" and "to-achieve" to see the good things that working abroad has brought me. Count your blessings, they say. You have work and you are earning.
If in case you couldn't really find anything good in all those times that you have been working abroad and you don't see your life getting any better, then you may need to go for some reflection and examine if being an OFW is really for you.
Q2:Why do I come home?
For two years I would always be desperate to come home to give myself some break--few days that I wouldn't have to bear with stress. I come home because life in the Philippines is definitely more fun than in the place where I work. I want to escape from the hell that I am into even just for a short time.
There is definitely nothing wrong to feel that you need a break. Everybody deserves it. And of course, there's no place like home. But focusing on this thought will just increase your burden. It would be helpful if you try not to think that your workplace is a hell despite all your bad experiences. Maybe, you could tell yourself this instead:
I come home to see my loved ones who I have missed. I want to spend time with them, need not be too long. Being with them for few days will regain my strength to face a not-so-easy work life abroad. I come home to fill up myself with inspiration.
I come home to enjoy my country and its beauty, because this is my way of giving back to the place that moulded me into what I am today--the me that I showcase to my employer abroad.
Can?
Q3:What do I do when I come home?
When I come home, I spend 'til I drop. I see friends and loved ones and treat them because it will take away all the bad vibes that I absorbed in that "hell". This will make me feel like heaven. I need to feel, to see, and to share the fruit of my earnings.
Economically speaking, OFW's purchasing power is helpful to our country. And there's nothing wrong about sharing your blessings with others. However, we must go back to our purpose--the "someday" part. You'd like to put up a business someday, remember? Then maybe, it's not right to spend all your hard-earned money in just one visit.
Don't let everything disappear in just a blink of an eye. Why? Because I realized that going back almost empty-handed, with the thought of having to start earning a huge amount all over again leads to that negative feeling when going back to work. Feeling like you're in a never-ending cycle is not good, is it? So instead of collecting hundreds and spending everything away til your savings go to zero, save hundreds, spend some tens, then go back to work to add more to what you have already kept. It's a bit hard for me to explain the concept without mentioning "budgeting" and "saving", but I know you know what I mean here.
Remember, whatever amount you earn is equal to the time and effort you have shelled out in your daily work.
Q4:Why do I need to go back to work?
I NEED to go back to work. And even if I don't like to, I have to. Because I need money. Because all my savingswere gone after this vacation. My happiness is about to end. I am going back to hell.
Try not to think that way. Have a positive heart. Celebrate because you will now go back to the place that enables you to earn enough to provide for you and your family's needs. Be thankful for the chance to improve your life financially. Look forward to planning for your next vacation. Look forward to achieving something greater than what you have achieved before.
The main reason why I earlier said not to overspend when going back to our country is that--you have to feel that you are accomplishing something as you work abroad. If you lose everything in each homecoming--you are always going back to zero. And it will definitely make you feel down.
Budgeting is another topic. But it would help you develop the habit of setting this mindset. Maybe I could share next time how I learned to control my impulsiveness and restlessness when it comes to spending.
Above all, always keep in mind that as an OFW, you are blessed. As an OFW, you are a blessing to others. So be grateful everyday for it. :)
