Who do you think you are?
If someone asks you to introduce yourself, chances are you start with what you do.
Your role. Your company. Maybe your family status. A hobby or two.
We rarely question this. It works — until it doesn’t.
When you move abroad for a new role, a leadership opportunity, entrepreneurship, or simply a different life, something subtle but profound often happens:
the familiar structures that once held your sense of self begin to loosen.
Your title may change.
Your professional status may feel less clear.
Your social reference points disappear.
Your sense of belonging becomes… fragile.
And suddenly, the question “Who am I?” is no longer theoretical.
Identity and the shock of transition
Psychologically, relocation is one of the most destabilising life transitions — even when it’s chosen, exciting, and objectively “successful.”
Research consistently shows that:
Around 50–60% of people living abroad report a significant drop in sense of belonging during their first years of relocation.
Up to 40% of internationally mobile professionals experience heightened self-doubt and identity confusion, particularly during career transitions or entrepreneurial phases.
High-achieving expats are more likely to internalise uncertainty, presenting competence externally while struggling internally with loss of confidence and direction.
This isn’t weakness.
It’s a natural response to identity disruption.
When old systems no longer hold — and new ones aren’t built yet
In transitions like relocation, you often find yourself in a space psychologists call a liminal phase — a threshold.
Old roles, habits, and social mirrors no longer fully apply
New systems, routines, and relationships aren’t solid yet
You are no longer who you were — but not yet who you are becoming.
This in-between space can feel deeply unsettling.
You may notice it in day-to-day life:
Overthinking decisions you once made with ease
Questioning your competence despite a strong track record
Feeling emotionally more reactive or withdrawn
Struggling with motivation, mood, or patience in relationships
Feeling “less like yourself” without being able to explain why
When identity has been externally anchored for years, this destabilisation can quietly erode confidence, self-worth, and even joy.
You are not your role — even when your role disappears
One of the most important — and often overlooked — truths in transition is this:
Your job, company, title, country, or even lifestyle are expressions of you.
They are not the core of who you are.
When those expressions change, it doesn’t mean you are lost.
It means your identity is asking to be re-anchored from within.
This doesn’t happen by “staying positive” or pushing through.
It happens through:
Reconnecting with values that travel with you across borders
Clarifying what gives you a sense of meaning beyond performance
Separating self-worth from external validation
Building inner coherence when external structures are unstable
This inner grounding becomes especially vital for leaders and entrepreneurs — because others often depend on your clarity, even when you’re navigating uncertainty yourself.
Why support matters in this phase
Many internationally mobile professionals try to navigate this phase alone.
From the outside, it looks like resilience.
Inside, it can feel isolating.
Having someone walk alongside you during identity transition isn’t about fixing you.
It’s about:
Holding perspective when everything feels blurred
Making sense of emotional signals rather than suppressing them
Seeing yourself more clearly when old mirrors no longer reflect you
Rebuilding confidence from essence, not circumstance
Transitions don’t just change what you do.
They reshape how you relate to yourself.
And that deserves space, attention, and care.
An invitation
If you’re living abroad and notice yourself questioning decisions, confidence, or belonging — especially during a career or entrepreneurial transition — know this:
Nothing is wrong with you.
You are in a profound identity reconfiguration.
And you don’t have to navigate it alone.
If you feel drawn to explore who you are beneath roles, titles, and locations — and to rebuild a grounded sense of self that travels with you — I invite you to reach out.
Sometimes, clarity emerges simply by not walking the path by yourself.