How Living Abroad Changes Your Brain

At a time when countless programs abroad face funding cuts, students and recent graduates may ask themselves whether taking the leap to live on another continent is worth the risk. Upending your whole life and moving across the Atlantic takes guts. It would be easier to stay in the comfort of your home – whether that be a physical building or the country where you’ve lived your whole life.

Prior to my move to Madrid, I was nervous about all the things that could go wrong. But not only does living abroad deepen your self confidence, it enhances your creativity, boosts civic engagement, and even increases employability. In this post, I will explore the science behind how living abroad changes your brain.

CREATIVITY

In my free time, I enjoy creative writing. I once spoke with a writer who told me that the best thing I could do to improve my writing was to live, not stay holed up at home typing away endlessly on the page. To really live, the writer said, would give me the material and experiences I needed to tell deeply-compelling stories. Apart from exposing you to new sights, sounds, and societies, how does living abroad enhance your creative muscle?

At the patio festival in Córdoba, I stumbled on Lego flowers.

 

Neuroplasticity is the ability for the brain to change over time and form new neural connections. Exploring unfamiliar cultures and learning new languages are “potent [stimuli] for neuroplasticity,” according to The Brain Docs. When I moved to Spain, the culture and language barrier presented a unique opportunity to engage my brain in novel ways. Often, I attend language exchanges in Madrid to practice speaking Spanish. Afterward my brain feels sore – not unlike how your arms feel after a tough day at the gym – but my thoughts buzz in response to the challenge of speaking another language.

The Atlantic cites a study on the creativity of directors in fashion companies. The creative directors who “had lived and worked in other countries produced more consistently creative fashion lines than those whose directors had not.” The researchers discovered that the effects of creativity on those who live abroad lasts after the experience ends and even helps in professional settings.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT & EMPLOYMENT

With creativity and taste becoming increasingly important in the workforce, living abroad is a fantastic way to rise above the competition. Those who live abroad are more likely to exhibit a growth mindset, which can be generally defined as the ability to “persist in the face of setbacks” and is a core trait shared among the best employees, according to Forbes. A study published by MIT found that enrolling in university programs abroad increased rates of employment by over twenty percent. Those who studied abroad gained language skills and the ability to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds, both of which are increasingly important in our global world.

Researchers compared the attitudes of University of Chicago students who had studied abroad with those who hadn’t. They found that students who lived abroad volunteered more frequently and displayed greater empathy. The students were also “more aware of what they knew and understood the limits of their knowledge.” The ability to step out of the “echo chamber of our lives” and gain new perspectives is an essential component in increasing our civic engagement.

Light show in a castle in Seville.

SENSE OF SELF

Living abroad can also bolster your sense of self. The Atlantic interviewed USC education and psychology professor Mary Helen Immordino-Yang who said that when living abroad your “ability to engage with people from different backgrounds than yourself, and [your] ability to get out of your own social comfort zone, [helps] build a strong and acculturated sense of…self.”

Prior to moving to Spain, the CIEE Teach in Spain program participants worked through a pre-departure course that contained tips on navigating the key cultural differences between Spain and the U.S. In one activity, we designed a digital collage of our communities. Besides serving as a useful tool for my students to get to know me, the digital collage prompted me to reflect on my understanding of self. Living in Spain has only deepened this understanding; for example, I learned that I really value in-house dryers! As my return to the U.S. approaches, I am dismayed at losing the sociable Spanish ethos I’ve come to admire. In the space between these cultures, I understand myself more clearly: the life I want to live; what I take for granted; and with whom I should spend time.

Me in Morocco. The longer I spent abroad, the more I developed an assured sense of self.

CONCLUSION & CAVEAT

Living abroad – while being the adventure of a lifetime (one I’m sure to talk about incessantly) – changes our brain, creativity, civic engagement, and sense of self. In an important caveat to its research about life abroad, The Atlantic noted that these benefits only appear when those who live abroad “properly immerse themselves culturally” either through engaging with the language, customs, or people.

If you’re on the fence about living abroad – or simply nervous for all the changes headed your way – take that leap of faith and embrace where you’re going wholeheartedly. When you find your way back home, you might discover it hasn’t changed all that much, even if you have.