The Unspoken Stress of Moving Countries (and How to Ease It)

Moving to a new country is often portrayed as an exciting adventure. But beneath the romanticised stories lies a quieter reality: relocation is one of the most emotionally complex life changes a person faces. For high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), moving countries is about more than cultural change. The transition requires careful consideration of legal compliance, including your tax residency, as well as an administrative focus. Amidst all of these changes, the emotional toll remains unspoken.

In this article, we examine the genuine psychological effects of relocation and offer practical strategies to help maintain your peace. These conversations are vital, as an unprecedented 142,000 millionaires   are projected to acquire residency or citizenship in another country in 2025. We’ll cover the realities these voluntary migrants may face, including one seemingly small but critical task that can have major financial consequences if left unmanaged.

Relocation’s impact goes beyond changing your physical environment. When you’re moving countries, you are:

• Losing your emotional anchors. Research on place attachment shows that people develop psychological bonds with familiar locations. Disruptions in these bonds can lead to emotional instability and low mood. 
• Experiencing a ‘floating identity’. The feeling of not quite belonging often occurs at the start, especially if you’re moving to a culturally very different country. Your feeling of displacement can worsen if you’re also leaving because you don’t feel welcomed (something many non-doms in the UK may experience). 
• Facing an emotional rollercoaster. Culture shock, as defined by Kalervo Oberg’s four-stage model, begins with the honeymoon period, where everything is great. However, it often quickly gives way to confusion and frustration before you finally settle in.

You’re facing an unfamiliar physical location and the stresses of dealing with logistics while your mind is switching from elation to uneasiness. 

Getting a moving company to transport your possessions or hiring a team to prepare your house reduces the time spent on logistics. However, relocation isn’t just about the physical parts of moving things from one place to another. You’ll also deal with emotional pressure and strain. 

The burden of endless decisions

Decision fatigue is a real phenomenon, and relocating to a new country exacerbates it. You’re suddenly responsible for choosing everything from school systems to tax advisors, banking institutions, and healthcare providers. This cumulative stress is a key contributor to what psychiatrist Joseba Achotegui termed Ulysses Syndrome, a condition that arises from “chronic and multiple stressors” during migration. This has been shown to affect even psychologically healthy individuals with symptoms like insomnia, anxiety, and physical exhaustion .

The to-do list that follows you

The months leading up to a cross-border move are filled with tasks to tick off your list. Contrary to popular belief, the admin doesn’t end when the moving boxes are unpacked. New residents often face months of system registrations, tax filings, and legal reporting. The feeling of endless things to take care of, and those that you might be forgetting, is taxing. 

The weight of expectations

Expectations can add another layer to your mental strain. Not only are you navigating your new surroundings with your expectations, but you also have to deal with social pressures. Moving to another country has romantic associations. The need to appear ‘settled’ can be draining, especially if you’re typically a high achiever. 

With these emotional pressures in mind, it’s not surprising to learn that migrants are more likely to experience mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. The 2022 study in the Lancet Regional Health further reported how these problems can appear even years after the initial move.

A few intentional steps can dramatically reduce the complexity of relocations and its emotional load. They help take things off the to-do list, ground you in your new surroundings and automate your decision-making. 

1. Build transition time into your calendar

Block off enough transition time pre- and post-move. Pre-move, this would be the time to relax and do things that aren’t directly related to your move or to saying goodbyes. When you’ve made the move, you want to set aside time for any urgent tasks you need to solve. It’s also beneficial to be open to forming new routines instead of forcing yourself to run the same daily routine in your new surroundings.

2. Anchor a few repeat routines

Indeed, building a new routine can speed up your place attachment. Choosing one local cafe, one walking route, or a weekly ritual can ensure you’re not constantly overloading your mind with ‘new things’. 

3. Delegate or automate invisible admin

Automate as many routine tasks as possible and hire a specialist to make the transition easier. You will have enough things to deal with, and anything that can save your mental bandwidth is time redirected to those more meaningful settling-in tasks.

4. Journal your emotional transition

Studies show that expressive writing can reduce anxiety and help track emotional patterns over time. You may not notice progress day-to-day, but the entries will show you how far you’ve come.

5. Visualise your tasks and progress

Instead of holding everything in your head, create a single place to manage all those tasks. This could be a whiteboard, a notebook or a digital tool like a Notion page or a to-do app. Unload everything, no matter how small or big. The visual ability to see tasks means you don’t need to feel like you’re forgetting something. You’ll also better see all the progress you’ve made, and these can feel like victories when things are shifting around you.

Moving to a new country involves a significant amount of administrative work. This administrative work can add to the mental strain you feel. And when you have to juggle so many different things, it’s easy to overlook and put off the seemingly inconsequential tasks — like day counting. 

Your tax advisor has most likely warned about those risks and said that moving out doesn’t just magically end your potential tax liabilities. The difference between being tax-resident in one country versus another can mean tens or hundreds of thousands in obligations. And most often than not, knowing the exact day count you spend in any tax jurisdiction is part of what makes you a (non-)resident.

But keeping a strong, defensible record of your day counts amidst a move isn’t easy, especially if you rely solely on manual methods like spreadsheets. Jetting between two countries amid a move can blur your day counts and make it hard to remember just how many days you’ve spent and where.

• Flights get rescheduled. 
• You spend a few extra days visiting family. 
• You’re staying temporarily in one country while waiting for property to close in another.

Day counting thus becomes yet another item on that to-do list. It’s a cognitive burden that forces you to pay attention to it. Either it takes you time and effort in terms of managing the day counting and evidence, or it nags away in the back of your mind because you’re putting it off, and you know the consequences of non-compliance.

A Client Story: Moving from the UK to the UAE

The above is precisely what happened to one of our clients. They were preparing to relocate from the UK to the UAE. Like many HNWIs making this move, they were juggling intense logistics, dealing with property, managing their family, coordinating advisors, all while trying to anticipate the legal and financial implications of their new life.

When their advisor mentioned Daysium to them, they were instantly sold on the idea. They didn’t just resonate with the ability to solve tax complexities. They understood the emotional release that came from knowing that their day counting was quietly taken care of. They had one less emotionally taxing thing to think about.

Relocation can be an exciting time. It’s a significant life event that involves a lot of letting go, adjusting, rebuilding and redefining in all areas of your life. This complex process consists of emotions that, without proper management, can be overwhelming. 

By automating critical admin like day counting, creating personal rituals, and leaving room for processing your emotions, you can protect your peace while moving countries.

You could also take one high-risk task off your plate with Daysium. For HNWIs juggling wealth management, legal advisors, and international lifestyle planning, automating tax residency compliance provides a bit of reprieve. And if you’re wondering about your current tax risk exposure or preparing for a move, take our quick assessment. You’ll get a clear view of your current situation and practical tips to fill any compliance gaps. 

Check your current tax  residency risk score today.