I really liked Jason’s article on Wednesday (Tuesday for you guys that are way behind us in time, like in the States). 🙂
Whenever a writer “bares all” and lays something out on the table, the results are always a good read, and such an article helps us know the person more “intimately”. I really thank Jason for laying himself on the line in his article ThePhilippines – A Cure for Mental Illness, Boredom, and Stress?
I do believe that a fair number of expats who come to the Philippines suffer from mental disease. I am not saying they are crazy or “looney” in some way. No, many people with such a problem may not even be recognizable as having a problem. Many people may just be bored. Others might have a more serious problem but it is more or less taken care of with medication. The reason I think it may be a fairly common problem for expats is that I believe in some cases people with such a disorder will try to run away to a different place, thinking that leaving their home may be the answer. Usually, though, it is not so.
I want to focus on boredom
After reading Jason’s article, I thought about it and I think that boredom is a problem for many expats. Having this blog for more than 12 years now, I get a lot of emails from people who read the site. Over the years, I have received similar emails many times, saying something like “how do you keep from getting bored here? What can you do? There is nothing to do here.” and that kind of thing.
To be honest, other than brief periods of feeling bored, which I believe is normal for any person, I really have not experienced a problem with boredom at all.
I have been involved in so many activities here. I have learned a language, and am working on learning another now. I have this website, of course. I have traveled extensively in the Philippines, and particularly all around the island of Mindanao. I have taken in and tried to learn a lot about the culture here. All of these are activities that take a lot of time and keep me busy for years on end. If I tire of one of those things, I move on to another one for a while. I find each of these things to be both therapeutic and also beneficial in making my life happier here.
Business has been a Godsend
Since my early days in the Philippines, I have gotten into many kinds of business. This is an activity that has kept me very busy, made me a lot of friends, helped me learn new things, and basically kept me from being bored.
If you are bored, I think that getting into a business would really benefit you. It does not have to be a very big corporation or anything. A simple online business will bring in a few bucks (if you are running short on money that is very stressful and likely could lead to mental issues in my view), keep you busy, and keep you learning new things. All of those things will make your life happier. Of course, if you don’t know how to do online business that might stop you. But…
As I eluded to in the last paragraph, some people tell me that they know nothing about the Internet and could never do an online business. I have never been trained or educated in computers. I taught myself everything I know. And, these days it is much easier than it all was back when I got into it. Also, these days there are a lot of people that can help you, train you, coach you, and basically make your online business a turnkey solution that will just work without a bunch of work from you!
I know that many people won’t believe this, or think it is impossible, but believe me, it is not. I have been working on something lately with some friends to make this kind of thing a reality… a turnkey online business that anybody can do. Pretty soon my friends and I will be ready to share this with you and others. In fact, I think we are probably just a few days away!
Another way this can help
I hear from a lot of people who tell me that they badly want to move to the Philippines… but how will they make money here? How will they survive? They don’t have enough money to come here without an income. Well, again, the idea I have been working on will help those people too! If you are wanting to move here, but trying to figure out how you can possibly make it happen, stay tuned, I have an answer on the way.
Best of luck to you
If Mental Disease or even just boredom is something that you struggle with, I certainly wish you the very best of luck. Thankfully, I have never suffered that type of problem, although I have had many health problems of my own over the years. Thankfully, I am overcoming that, and have really turned my own health (physical) around in the past year or two. I would suspect that a mental disorder is more difficult to overcome than a physical ailment in many cases, so I know the road is tough.
Jason, thank you again for sharing. Your article will likely bring help to a number of readers. You should be proud of that.
I am not saying that a few people do not come here because they are running away from something or perhaps they are bored. However, the people that I know came here after many years, perhaps decades of planning, perhaps gradually building a balay, saving in their 401k and waiting fir SS eligibility to move. Then, for moving there is the task of selling a home and moving s container. So with all of the planning and execution this takes, it does not portend of a mentally ill person perhaps acting on impulse to get away from it all! Yes, I believe there are people like that, some relatively normal but others generally here as a result of poor or no planning, hanging around the bars and picking up their bar fines and having no medical insurance, overextending their visas etc.. A large proportion of us married our Filipino wives decades ago and we are following up on promises made to retire here when our working days were over. So I guess we do not disagree with the fact the there are mentally ill expats here to a greater or lesser degree, we only disagree with the extent of the mental illness problem with myself believing that in the Philippines it is no greater than US retirees moving to Florida or Sun City Arizona; in fact, due to the much higher costs and logistics to do it right, the expats here probably have it more together than most! I suspect it is easier for me to see this, having come here much more recently than you. Salamat for your excellent blog.
Thanks for your input, Dan. I think you might be surprised how many people there are like that. There are also a lot of expats here who are hiding from the law, etc.
Glad you are enjoying the blog!
I remember working with a guy some years ago and he occasionally came out with pearls of wisdom. One I particularly remember is after I had told him that I was thinking about moving away from the area I was living in, because I wanted a new start.
He said to me…” Wherever you go – you take yourself with you”……obviously meaning that whatever problems you have now will not just go away by moving to somewhere different.
The mental aspect of moving here cannot be underestimated for a variety of reasons – financial restraints are high on the list so that needs recognising from the outset, another source of mental issues can be put at the door of expectations………the life here not quite as you imagined.
Boredom can be a major issue – especially the younger you are, so finding something to fill your days can be beneficial to a great degree. Travelling is a terrific way of eleviating boredom and having a car is somewhat essential for this. The issues can return at any time and that is where you need to learn to deal with them….let’s face it – we all have downer days or periods so in the main they are easily dealt with.
Coming to the Philippines to get away from problems because essentially you replace those problems with a new set of problems – so, for me, you need to come here for the right reasons and with an open mind with limited expectations. Fill your days as much as you can and try not to dwell on the not too great things about living here.
That is a real pearl and one that is widely known. Your friend gave good advice.
Life here is certainly different than most people expect.
I agree with both of you guys, I have a good friend here from the UK who is battling depression. He does say it is a lot better here than it was there.
As for me, five years seriously planning my move was the one thing that helped me know I was serious about it. Yearly trips over the previous decade planted the seed, planning was the water that made it grow. We started by buying a piece of farmland from a trusted relative and building a simple but typhoon resistant house.
One piece of advice I have for anyone even thinking about the move, simplify your life where you are now. If you can’t simplify, you will have a harder time being happy here. Simplifying will help you reduce your costs of living. This will help if you have a limited income.
I agree that having a business is a great thing to fight boredom, however, if you become a slave to the business for the sake of more money, then you might possibly find yourself being less happy than possible.
I am content living simply which gives me time to do things I like. I came from corporate IT, at 52 I had enough retirement savings to have a regular $1000 income.
I withdraw from it penalty free using the IRS SEPP/72t rule. That keeps my family fed with occasional beach trips and allows me to enjoy my one pleasure of becoming a beekeeper and teaching my kids and extended family how to do it if they are interested.
I have only been living here full time for 2.5 years, and I love my simple life here and can’t imagine ever going back to the crazy corporate world ever again.
I love your blog Bob… sometimes it really helps me count my blessings.
Ingat
Depression is a tough thing, no doubt.
I do encounter many people who plan the move for years, even decades, then when they move here they leave in 2 years.. can’t handle the change.
Simplifying life is a big step forward, no doubt. Feyma and I are in the process of going through that process right now since our kids are more or less grown up.
For me, if I had only a $1k income, we would be struggling, so that would not work for me.
Glad you are enjoying life! Keep moving forward. And I am so happy that you enjoy the site!
If you are bored……buy a Kodi from Bob. It is the best thing since sliced bread. My Kodi has made look forward to tv once again. Thanks Bob
Ha ha… I am glad you are enjoying your Kodi, Dennis. Have fun!
Boredom is all in the mind!! I just turn off when an expat tells me he is bored…These guys are usually up with the roosters, have no hobbies and quality friends, afraid to venture too far from home, and possibly are not too happy with their home life… I have lived here for the best part of 20 years and can honestly say I have ‘never’ been bored..frustrated at times but never bored. I agree with Rob as I too have been in the fast lane of the corporate world and now am enjoying my twilight years winding down and still enjoying a pretty good lifestyle.
What is it with these guys, there is so much to do here in the Philippines, the list is long, I could go on forever…Maybe these types should take a long, hard look at themselves and stop complaining, find a hobby, make some ‘decent’ friends and loosen up a little!!! One of the reasons I keep well away from most expats, they tend to blame others for their unhappiness.. I am sure we all know one or two..
I hear it a lot.
I am up with the roosters myself, but I am very happy here. Like you, I’ve been here for a long time, over 18 years.
Hi Bob. I will be watching for your news about how to make a living in the Phils. Until then, my advice remains to save in your home country until you have enough to be retired in the Phils. I hope you can change my mind as my advice is understandably depressing to those who want to make the move ASAP.
I am not looking to change anybody’s mind, but some people want to move to the Philippines and have not been able to achieve your prescribed goal.
LOL Bob,
You must be a mind reader. I’m also writing a piece on boredom. But it’s coming along rather slowly because I’m sorta busy not being bored.
The business we have occupies some time and brain power. But it’s not so demanding that we can’t take a spur of the moment trip, or other entertainment. I’ve also always been comfortable inside my own head. The slow, rural life appeals to me.
Take care,
Pete
Bob,
Boredom does set in for me every once in a while. Sometimes we take trip to another Asian country just to get away from the Philippines. Not that we don’t like it here, sometimes you just need a change of scenery.