Adapting to new environments

In ten years, I have had ten different addresses in different cities, of different countries. It has been a nomadic lifestyle but one that I have enjoyed thoroughly. If I did not enjoy it, I would have planted myself at home and kept within the confines of my safety zone. However, it has been through exploring new environments, new cultures, new people, that I have grown as an individual.

The biggest test has been my adaptability to change and the speed and efficacy with which I can feel at home in a new environment. Social challenges that come with new environments are two fold. The challenge of meeting to meet new people, plus the feeling of having to leave others behind. In a work environment, although the overall tasks and objectives of two organisations might be very similar, no two cultures are identical. Politics, personalities and the overall environment can influence the individual and the group psyche.

New environments do not necessarily need to mean new geographical locations. The environment, or atmosphere, of a place can easily change without one having to even move. Often an environment, whether it be a social or professional situation, can become new just by someone else arriving. Whether the environment changes because of a new boss or a friendship circle can become divided by new additions, new environments are inescapable. It’s how we embrace change and differences that dictate how successful we can be in new environments. By changing nothing, nothing changes.