Studying abroad is typically seen as an academic experience—an invigorating experience to surround yourself with new cultures, gain international insights, and enrich your academic experience. But it’s not just about that. It’s essential to see the health-focused advantages of studying abroad. Ranging from improved mental health care to exposure to cutting-edge health systems, choosing to study abroad can have a direct influence on your physical and mental well-being. Here’s why studying abroad is a healthy decision that serves students in ways that they might not consciously appreciate.
Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being
Though the concept of studying abroad usually invokes images of seeing new nations and experiencing new cultures, it can also be an exercise in self-discovery and self-development. Perhaps one of the most underappreciated advantages of studying abroad is the way it promotes emotional resilience and mental well-being.
Staying in a foreign nation may be difficult, particularly for those experiencing homesickness or anxiety. But the experience also strengthens good coping mechanisms. Studies indicate that studying abroad builds students’ resilience, as it challenges them beyond their comfort zones and acquaints them with coping in new settings. The mental development from such an experience can make students more emotionally mature, self-assured, and able to deal with challenges in the future.
In addition, numerous nations have outstanding mental health care services for foreign students, which may surpass what is accessible at home. Such services comprise counselling, support groups, and workshops on stress management, mindfulness, and mental well-being.
Diverse Healthcare Practices Exposure
Living abroad exposes students to various healthcare systems directly and broadens their horizons of global healthcare practices. It is an eye-opening experience, particularly for students in the healthcare profession or those with medical-related courses.
For instance, students from nations such as Germany, Sweden, or Japan, which possess highly effective and innovative healthcare systems, can learn much about public health policies and practices. These experiences enhance their vision about preventive care, holistic care, and patient-oriented care—useful information for any individual pursuing the medical or healthcare professions.
Furthermore, foreign studies could potentially expose the student to traditional healing systems, such as Chinese medicine, Ayurveda in India, or homoeopathy in some European regions. Such cross-cultural exposure has the potential to shape future professions and broaden a student’s global health orientation.
Health Insurance and Medical Care Access
Most students are concerned with the cost and accessibility of healthcare outside their countries. Nevertheless, a number of nations have high-quality healthcare systems available to international students. Canada, the UK, and Australia possess great healthcare facilities available to students at minimal to no cost once a relatively inexpensive policy is purchased.
In addition, students across most of Europe are covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which grants access to low-cost or free health care. Having such access to health care provides reassurance and guarantees that health is a priority, enabling students to concentrate on studying and self-development without always worrying about the potential for additional medical bills.
Establishing Healthier Lifestyle Habits
Studying overseas promotes students to lead healthier lifestyles. Whether they immerse themselves in a local culture of fitness, indulge in fresh, locally sourced produce, or turn to healthier eating patterns, studying overseas tends to result in more active and attentive habits.
France, Italy, and Japan encourage a food culture of freshly prepared, healthy, and well-balanced meals. International students in these nations may find themselves adopting healthy food habits such as the Mediterranean diet or Japanese traditional meals, both associated with improved long-term health outcomes.
In addition, in most nations, walking or riding a bike is a major form of transportation, causing students to receive additional physical exercise during the course of the day. A change towards healthier, more active living can have a long-lasting positive influence on students’ health, making them keep healthy practices long after going home.
A Stronger Immune System: Exposure to New Environments
Living abroad exposes students to new environments, climates, and microbes naturally. Although this can apparently be a health hazard initially, it has been proven that it ends up boosting your immune system. Through exposure to many viruses, bacteria, and allergens, your body becomes capable of withstanding future infections.
This increased exposure, combined with higher standards of preventive healthcare in many countries, can lead to fewer illnesses over time. Additionally, students often learn how to adapt to their new environment’s climate and air quality, gaining insights into staying healthy while traveling and living in different conditions.
Building Global Health Networks
Living and studying abroad frequently provides the means to establish global health networks that serve students well beyond their return to their home country. Such networks can encompass healthcare professionals, mentors, and even other students following the same health-related career pathways. This international outlook is crucial for those interested in working in international health, non-profits, or global health policy.
In addition, most students come back from their study abroad experiences with a better realisation of health inequities throughout the world. This is an awareness that will encourage students to seek careers dedicated to enhancing healthcare systems among neglected or marginalised groups, leading to health equity in the world.
Integral Development of Well-Being
Finally, learning abroad is also a chance for all-around personal development. It promotes every element of wellbeing—physical, emotional, and intellectual. The exposure to various cultures, foods, languages, and health systems develops a better-rounded sense of health, enabling students to appreciate how cultural practices, lifestyle habits, and well-being are intertwined.
The process of venturing out of one’s comfort zone, creating new bonds, and overcoming challenges works wonders for physical and emotional well-being. By incorporating these life skills into their day-to-day lives, students return home with not only academic success but also enhanced mental, emotional, and physical health.
Studying abroad is not just an academic experience—it’s an opportunity to experience how other cultures perceive health, wellness, and self-care. By immersing yourself in an unfamiliar healthcare setting, adopting healthier lifestyle habits, and becoming emotionally stronger, you will be establishing the building blocks for a healthier and more satisfying life. When you study abroad, you’re not just accumulating credits—you’re investing in your overall well-being, both in the short and long terms.
By Ms Ritika Gupta, Founder, AAera Consultants.
