Self-Care Tips for the Weeks Before You Study Abroad

As exciting as it is to prepare for a study abroad experience, the weeks leading up to departure can feel like a blur of logistics, goodbyes, and anticipation. That’s why these days deserve care. Not just planning, but real, intentional self-care.

Here are a few ways to stay grounded, present, and even joyful during the transition.

1. Slow Down When You Can

Even in the rush of pre-departure tasks, it’s important to take a pause. Whether it’s a quiet morning walk, an unhurried visit to your favorite coffee shop, or just a few minutes of stillness, give yourself space to breathe.

Take time to notice the details around you — the ones you’ll miss and the ones you’ve grown used to. Let yourself savor this part of the journey too.

Try this: Make a simple list of “lasts”. Your last Saturday at home, your last walk in the neighborhood, your last home-cooked dinner. Not as a goodbye, but as a way of honoring where you are.

2. Declutter, Inside and Out

Packing isn't just about what fits in your suitcase — it's also about what you're carrying emotionally. These next few weeks are a great time to reflect and let go of what no longer serves you.

This can be as small as donating clothes you won’t wear, or as personal as releasing expectations or fears. Think of it as preparing your whole self for something new.

Try this: Ask yourself, “What do I want to carry with me into this next chapter and what can I leave behind?”

3. Make Time for Real Connection

As departure gets closer, it’s easy to feel pulled in all directions. Try to protect time with people who truly matter to you in a way that feels grounding.

Let your last few meetups be simple and sincere. A walk, a favorite meal, a quiet conversation. Presence is more important than perfection.

Try this: Write a short note to someone you're going to miss.

4. Practice Small, Grounding Rituals

Start now with little routines that can travel with you. A morning stretch, a short journal entry, tea at the same time each day. These are the kinds of habits that will offer familiarity once you're in a completely new place.

Try this: Choose one daily ritual that feels calming. Practice it consistently now so it feels like home later.

5. Accept the In-Between

This time before you leave can feel uncertain — not fully here, not quite there. That’s normal. Give yourself permission to not have all the answers. This in-between space is part of the experience too.

Allow yourself to feel a mix of things: excitement, nervousness, gratitude, hesitation. It all belongs.

Try this: Reflect on how far you’ve already come just by preparing. Growth starts long before you board the plane.

Final Thoughts

Study abroad starts in moments like this. In the packing, in the planning, in the quiet goodbyes and slow mornings.

Taking care of yourself now is a way of preparing not just for a new country, but for a deeper experience of it. Be gentle with yourself. These are the last pages of one chapter and the very first of another.