I know first-hand about the problems of migration and emigration. Therefore, for me, writing this article is something personal. I want to share my experience, my difficulties, victories and defeats as an expat, and practical advice and knowledge that I tried or acquired that helped me in my time. Let me start by saying that I am an emigrant with experience. I was born in Akademgorodok in Novosibirsk, then lived with my parents in Malaysia, then a little in America, then in India, then, a little longer, in Moscow, then in Poland (I hoped that she would become my home, but the plan has changed). Now I live in Moscow again, and I hope that this is the final destination of my travels. At least for some long time. Each move was difficult for me, but with experience it becomes easier. However, some difficulties always remain the same for me. For example... Feeling constantly stressed Stress manifests itself differently in different people. I feel stress physically, like tension in my back and stomach. At the level of thoughts, stress for me manifests itself as a constant dilemma: “who can I trust and how much.” Who can you rely on, who should you ask for help, and what kind (and who not)? Who should you stay away from and why? Who is my friend (at least hypothetically)? What should I do in this or that situation? How will these or those actions be assessed by the people here? What behavior do they expect from me? What am I ready to accept in a new environment, and what is unacceptable to me? Where can you find a little love, compassion and safety? How can you become needed by this society? And so on. All of these were emotionally very difficult moments and in order to deal with them, I needed a lot of support, risk and work on myself. Of course, people often ask these questions in their usual environment, at home, in their city, in their country. However, in the new environment these issues are especially relevant and acute, and are of vital importance. After all, a change of place of residence is always an experience of loss and uncertainty of the future, it is hopes, it is a meeting with something new. And for whom is it easy? The success of adaptation to a new place usually depends on several factors. Including, on a person’s personal characteristics (for example, on the initial level of depression), on the number of negative and undesirable life events, on the level of social support. It is easier for those people who view moving as a temporary event, who have certainty about work and place of residence. But even in this case, the emigrant’s emotional ties with significant people whom he had to leave behind are partially destroyed. It can be very difficult, and building new relationships takes time. That is, the emigrant is in any case emotionally weakened. If emigration is associated with a high degree of uncertainty in all areas (work, housing, relationships, future) or becomes forced, people perceive it as a psychological trauma. The most difficult process of adaptation of an emigrant to a new place occurs during the first two years. Emotions, negative thoughts and health During two years of working with emigrants in Poland, I noticed that some people adapt to a new place more successfully than others. Those who have more stress and poorer adaptation often think: “I can’t change myself and my life”; “There is no place in life for pain, suffering and worry”; “Everyone should help and sympathize with me”; “All my suffering is only due to external circumstances”; “I am inferior because I cannot cope with the situation,” and so on. Those who adapt faster are less likely to allow themselves negative thoughts. Migration has a stressful effect on the human psyche, and can be a powerful impetus for the development of psychosomatic diseases. Unexperienced and/or ignored emotions can transform into psychosomatic diseases. Among the most common diseases among migrants are: bronchial asthma, neurodermatitis, anorexia, bulimia, shortness of breath, and skin diseases.