Orla Carlin lives in Dubai where she works in education and is a contract author. She is studying for an MSc in mental health and well-being

I’m from Belfast and moved to the UAE in 2014 to work as a teacher. Now I write for various international magazines and spend my time working on my distance learning Master’s in Well-being.

Earlier this 12 months it was suggested that the south of Ireland would have a tsunami of mental health needs arising sometime after the initial pandemic peak and that situation will persist for months, possibly years. In 2018 it was found that the North of Ireland had the best prevalence of mental illness in Britain. With this in mind and the continuation of the pandemic, I made a decision to take a rain check and leave.

Since moving abroad to the center east in 2014, I actually have been grateful to explore other countries and their cultures. Dubai is a global hub and for this reason I visited countries that to be honest I had never had any desire to see.

Living within the UAE has enabled me to see the opposite Gulf countries, the greater middle east region, the Balkans and even Uzbekistan. Admittedly, no place is ideal and in every single place we enterprise to come back with its pros and cons. The pursuit of happiness will be tiring irrespective of where you reside or work and this is clear within the rates of depression worldwide, which increased by 18 per cent between 2005 and 2015.

I actually have decided to remain in Dubai, but as much as I really like the sunshine and the exciting lifestyle, I can still find myself wanting what I do not have

I actually have decided to remain in Dubai, but as much as I really like the sunshine and the exciting lifestyle, I can still find myself wanting what I don’t have. I do know that is human nature as anytime it rains here, it’s delightful to see the scholars run outside screaming rain day, very like a snow day in Ireland. We adapt to latest environments a lot in order that after sometime we will forget to see their beauty.

After getting through the lockdown, I used to be motivated to check the science of well-being and this helped me to easily go searching. I began to notice the little things that others do here within the desert to make themselves blissful. I made a decision to be a bit more experimental.

Listed here are 4 things I learned about well-being within the melting pot that’s Dubai:

Befriend others that do not drink alcohol
I do know in all corners of the globe there are individuals who drink and people who prefer to not. I actually have found it easier to satisfy individuals who abstain from alcohol here, perhaps due to their culture or religious values. Either way I learned so much from it. In Holly Whitetaker’s book Quit like a Woman, she brings attention to the undeniable fact that between 2002 and 2012 rates of alcohol addiction amongst females rose by 84 per cent. Perhaps the shocking statistics catapulted me to do other things on the weekend.

I feel that in lots of parts of the world it’s culturally acceptable to get drunk and get up with a harmful hangover.Yet we all know that even the least amount of alcohol disrupts our sleep, fuels anxiety and makes us age faster. I began spending my Friday nights eating Arabic cuisine and going to restaurants versus clubs. Having fun with the hummus, falafel, tabouleh, and kibbeh with water as a substitute of wine made all of it that more splendid.

Once I watched my friends dancing sober when their favourite songs got here on in restaurants, I realised that is definitely more fun. The subsequent day after I woke up, I had no anxiety, plenty of energy and more cash; plus my confidence dancing grew.

Switch your snacks for sunflower seeds
I actually have taught highschool students in local schools here. Sometimes as a teacher I might walk into the room to see tables crammed with sunflower seeds and shells. It was quite refreshing to see young people so ecstatic about snacks that did not involve crisps and chocolate bars or typical junk food. I remember a friend once told me when she was helping her son with homework, she would eat the seeds because cracking the shells is satisfying and helps her remain calm when the homework session is just not going to plan.

There appears to be a love for these seeds in the center east. Some say they boost immunity and have anti-inflammatory properties and plenty of vitamin E. Anytime I’m tasked with doing a tedious task, I snack on these delicious treats and when individuals are around me, they take part too.

Take moments of pause day by day
The decision to prayer will be heard five times a day in Dubai, it catches my attention during early morning, midday lessons and evening meals. Sometimes when I actually have to catch a taxi, the motive force asks politely if he can take a break and pray. I sit within the back and watch as he blissfully takes his mat out of the boot and strolls off. I take my yoga mat with me in every single place I’m going now,. Perhaps he inspired me in a roundabout way.

I can hear the melody coming from the local mosques. I believe the decision is relaxing and quite powerful because it captivates the ears of many. In Ireland, the one-minute Catholic reflection on RTÉ referred to as the Angelus is a day by day reminder for people to stop and reflect too. I believe there are similarities which will be drawn between each within the sense that we should always take some day out day by day to pause and pray.

I don’t think we now have to be very religious to do that though, but after I hear the sound it does help me pause and gain clarity. I’d take the time to put in writing down some gratitude statements, meditate or practice respiratory exercises. The important thing to raised well being is to seek out a balance between activity and inactivity. Here latest ideas can come to the forefront, in addition to opportunities to get through day by day challenges.

Learn a language
Studying a latest language can deepen connections and help create latest relationships without putting a foot out the door. Ultimately learning a language can improve well being while alleviating negative thoughts. I spent the primary two years here teaching in a monolingual classroom. I heard the identical sayings on repeat in Arabic but they never bored me. Reasonably they ignited my interest.

The word love in Arabic will be said in many alternative ways and a few of them are quite poetic and enticing. Arabs use love of their vocabulary day by day and it’s not only reserved for romantic relationships. I believe that is just a relentless reminder to inform people how much you like them. The lesson here is that regardless that I can’t have a conversation, hearing the phrases motivates me to play songs on You Tube day by day, helping me to explore the Arabic language in a simple and fun way. I believe languages can tell us stories about others which helps us feel more connected to them.

Once I finally return home I’ll take the teachings with me but for now it’s Ma’a salama from Dubai.

[ abroad@irishtimes.com ]