Let’s talk about mental health in Korea

I had typed up this blog post months ago and forgot about it. However, on October 29th, a heartbreaking tragedy occurred in Seoul that ended with 158 people passing away in a crowd crush. Along with that, thousands, and thousands of people, myself included, were subjected to graphic images and videos of the event. This could’ve been experienced in real life or over the internet. I still cannot forget what I saw and the widespread trauma from this event will affect many for some time. With that being said, I figured this blog post could hopefully help some people like myself.

Read more: Let’s talk about mental health in Korea

 I have passed my first year in Korea and I have had a spectacular time. Becoming closer to my students inside the classroom warms my heart and the sights I see outside of the classroom are beautiful memories I will always have. Overall, my time thus far has been the picture-perfect scenario I dreamed of a year ago.

That being said, living abroad can’t always be butterflies and rainbows. We are all human and inevitably with happiness comes sadness. This sadness can have a direct cause, or it can be sadness with no reason. Being abroad, in unfamiliar territory, amplifies our emotions. It’s important to not push away these emotions and instead figure out ways to cope with them so you can have your best time abroad.

Here are some tips I came up with to improve your mental health as a foreigner living in Korea.

Prep yourself to live in Korea BEFORE coming to live in Korea

Yea I know, this seems self-explanatory, but it is more important than you think. The reality is, South Korea is the second most homogenous country in the world, second only to…North Korea. Korea is over 99% Korean. If you are a foreigner coming to Korea, you need to be prepared to stick out…everywhere. Especially as an EPIK teacher, you will most likely not be in Seoul where the majority of foreigners are. Getting stared at quite a bit can take a mental toll but knowing this before coming can help some.

Also, depending on how rural, you will need to read and speak some Korean. Some expats in Korea make videos and blogs saying, “you don’t need to know any Korean to get around!” and while that might be true in Seoul, that’s not the case everywhere. Simply knowing how to read hangul and how to say basic phrases in Korean will help tremendously. Talk To Me In Korean is a great resource I use to learn.

I have seen many expats who get to Korea and are overwhelmed by having to navigate tasks like ordering in restaurants or taking the bus. If you get ready for these situations before coming to Korea, you can alleviate a lot of stress at the start which will make the rest of your time here much better. It also is important for emergencies. Public safety alerts are sent out only in Korean. There are apps you can download to translate them but, in a pinch, it is useful to know some Korean already.

Keep track of your thoughts

In any way you can, have a way to get your thoughts out. Whether this is through a diary, voice memos, or a blog like mine, have somewhere to go when you need to let it out. It doesn’t have to be just negative either. If you have an amazing day, write down all the details. That way you can look back at it on a bad day and remind yourself why you’re here.

You will have so many things happen in the first months, and it can be overwhelming. If you give yourself an outlet to organize your feelings, you will feel a lot more at peace.

Have a weekly “something” and stick to it

Getting to a new country for the first time is exciting and while you’re here, there will never be a lack of places to explore. You will be tempted to (and should) see as much as you possibly can in your year(s) here. But that lifestyle can also cause you to become exhausted and disorganized if you don’t have something to reign you in. That’s why I recommend having a weekly event that you commit to doing. For me, it’s playing badminton followed by dinner with my friends every Wednesday.

No matter how whirlwind of a week I’ve had, I know that every Wednesday evening, I can forget about my stresses and have fun playing badminton. Plus, I picked up a new hobby I can continue back home as well!

Keep some normalcy

As with the previous point, once you get here, you will most likely be swept up in activities every day. I am an introverted extrovert who likes to have a good amount of alone time. Going from city to city every weekend is fun, but it can get quite draining. When I am feeling mentally drained, I say no to plans for the night, make some ramen, and relax with a good kdrama. It might be a little boring, but it is a normal night for me.

Once I stay in for a night or two of normalcy, I feel so rejuvenated and ready to explore with my friends again. Whatever your idea of a relaxing night back home, replicate it here as best as you can when you feel stressed. Forcing yourself to always do something new is not healthy and you’ll get burnt out quite quickly.

Meet new friends

Easier said than done, I know. I am lucky that my friend group seemed to fall into place early on in my time here and I have done everything with them since, including traveling outside of Korea. But even if I hadn’t made friends early on, I know I would’ve had to eventually. No matter how much you tell yourself you are ok being on your own, you need at least one person to share some experiences with. This doesn’t have to be every day or every week but find somebody to go on a day trip with now and then.

           I love my friends back home, but the truth is, living in Korea is a very niche experience that only people who experience it can truly understand. Having people to talk to who can relate to both your highs and lows is crucial.

           If you are feeling lonely, there are a plethora of spaces in person and online to meet other expats. I am a part of the Expat Women in Korea Facebook page. A few times a month I see women post about a desire to meet and connect with new people and each of those posts gets at least 10 comments from people offering to meet up and hang out. In many cities in Korea, there are international centers that offer Korean classes and other activities. That is also a great place to make new friends.

Feel your emotions

Depression, anxiety, and simply sadness are scientific. It is real. So ignoring it will not work. If you are feeling depressed, know that you are not alone. And while Korea is not up to par on language services, there are still so many resources for foreigners going through a tough time. If my simple tips above aren’t working, it might be time to speak to a professional. The Korea Times put out a useful article detailing resources for where to go for mental health services. Here is a list of resources I gathered from that article if you don’t want to read through it:

Hotlines for those who DO speak Korean:

LifeLine Korea (1588-9191)

Korea Suicide Prevention Center (1393)

Counsel24 (1566-2525)

Mental Health Center Crisis Counseling (1577-0199)

Ministry of Health and Welfare Call Center (129)

Based on your country, this Wikipedia page lists all the suicide crisis lines globally in case you don’t speak Korean.

Facebook pages:

Mental Health – Women in Korea

Mental Health – Men in Korea

*Both are trans-inclusive

The creator of the Facebook pages has also made this Google Doc that gives links to foreigner-friendly psychiatrists split up by regions outside of Seoul. If you are in or around Seoul, here is a list of psychiatrists that are foreigner friendly.

Online services:

Better Help

Couchology

Talkspace

Mental health services for foreigners have been sparse in the past but even within the last year, I have seen growth. I hope some of these resources can help you or someone in need.

Living in Korea is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I have had days where I wish for nothing more than to be back in the comfort of my home country. I have embarrassingly cried at a bus stop on a day when nothing seemed to be going my way. But living in Korea is also the best and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. For every bad day, I’ve had 30 good days. It’s all about balance. It’s about keeping my mental health at the top of my priority list always. I wish the same for anybody who needed this blog post as well.  

---