After you finish as an Aid worker

Transitioning from Aid Worker to Next Chapter

You have finished - or you are about to finish - your assignment as an aid worker. It has been a unique and probably intense experience. You will have lots of priorities, like finishing your handover documents, briefing remaining or incoming staff, finishing any pending urgent projects, finding a new place to live or returning to your previous home, moving your things from one country to another, thinking about and looking for your next assignment, etc.

But there are some other important activities that shouldn't get lost as you transition from one chapter of your life to your next. They will help you to value your experience, to adjust during your transition, and to prepare for what's next. They’re based on advice from other returned aid workers:

Readjust

Expect readjustment to your post-aid worker life to take time, certainly more than just a few days or weeks. Your values may have changed, and things may have changed in your home country. You should also be prepared for people around you back home to have a hard time understanding what you have experienced. Continue your willingness to learn, to listen to others, to think about the point of view of others, and to respect differences in opinion and perspective.

Reverse culture shock

You may find that it's a shock, and even hard to cope, with the change in your environment as you return home. This is very common and is sometimes known as reverse culture shock. Dr Ted Lankester has written well about it in his book "The Traveller's Good Health Guide" available from Amazon. A guide to reverse culture shock is available written by InterHealth, a UK-based medical charity.

What to avoid

A cynical, perceptive and amusing list of post-aid-work options is here. (Scroll down beyond it to see the discussion that followed.) There's no need to get stuck in any of these ruts. But it's good to be aware that some aid workers have done so, partly because they find it hard to make the large adjustment from the high-intensity life they've led.

The tips below are some suggestions on how to avoid the potential quicksand and head on into your future with a purposeful spring in your step.

Reflect

Make time to reflect about your experience:

1. If you kept a journal or blog, keep writing in it during the transition and after you have returned home. If you didn't keep a journal, it's not too late to start.
2. Go through the material things you have brought back from your assignment, both professionally and personally-related, and write about them.
3. Organize and label the pictures from your assignment, while names and feelings are still fresh in your mind. This reflection will help you remember more about your experience later.

Tell your story

You may want to talk about your time away, but find that after a minute or two even your good friends start to look as if you're giving them too much information. It can be difficult to accept that even though you've been heroic or thrilled or traumatised or privileged by a life-changing experience, your friends only want to hear a soundbite now and again rather than the whole thing.

This is very common: don't worry about it. But if you can find a friend, or a professional counsellor, who's willing to listen to you for a long time, that can be a great help.

If talking about your experiences doesn't appeal to you, while it can mean that you're bottling things up, it may simply not suit your particular personality to talk about it. The talkers shouldn't pressurise the non-talkers into being like them.

Write an essay about your experiences

To help you think through your experiences, write an essay about them. You can also share your essay with others by submitting it to different outlets, such as:

• Your local newspaper
• Your college alumni association
• A local NGO concerned with international issues
• A community of faith to which you belong

Don't forget to email a copy of your article to the organization you worked through. They may want to incalude your essay on their website, in a print publication, or in a grant proposal.

Join with others

Join the nearest chapter of the United Nations Association to stay informed and connected with international activities. You can find a chapter near you through the World Federation of United Nations Associations website at www.wfuna.org. If there isn't a chapter near you, the website can also help you set one up.

Cook

Cook a meal for your friends and share your experiences from the country where you served by representing the country in your meal and displaying pictures and items you brought back. The goal should be to make the experience interesting for your friends, rather than just an opportunity for you to share your thoughts. Less detail may be better than more.

A fresh outlook

Keep an open mind and don't expect future aid work to be the same as your previous experience. Each new assignment is a new opportunity to learn and serve. If you decide to pursue a different path, embrace the differences and enjoy the new experience. It's important to reflect on your past experiences, but then move forward with a thankful spirit and focus on the future.