Seemingly endless paperwork and long waits to hear back are to be expected when applying for a partner visa in practically any country. Australia is no exception, and if you or your partner are going through the process of applying for a visa there, you may find the ongoing uncertainty hard to deal with. Handing power over the future of your relationship to somebody you do not know is enough to keep anyone up at night, and it can take a serious toll on the mental health and well-being of some people.
Unfortunately, you cannot control how quickly the authorities process applications, but there are plenty of strategies that can help you cope with how you feel during this difficult time. This short article outlines a few effective and practical methods of managing stress and staying positive during the visa process.
1. Break the Process Down into Manageable Steps
Throughout the Australia partner visa process, many documents are required and there is often a lot of back-and-forth between applicants and the authorities. It can be very long, and this sometimes causes people to feel overwhelmed. One way to avoid this is to break the process down into manageable steps and just focus on completing the next one. One exercise that can help shift your perspective from unproductively worrying about the whole process to productively concentrating on the most immediate tasks is creating a checklist. That way, you can easily see what has been done and what needs doing. Your checklist can be written, but some people also like to use apps or spreadsheets for this.
2. Find Some Supportive Communities
Reach out to friends and family for emotional support. After all, that is what they are there for and you would surely be there for them if the tables were turned. Beyond that, it may also be helpful to join some online support groups for people in similar situations to you. There are often Facebook groups or online forums where people applying for visas or people with foreign partners can share their experiences, seek advice, and make new connections.
While getting in touch with the busy immigration authorities to get information about your case can be a pain, there are some advice lines you can call that may be able to offer free legal support or answer your questions about the application process.
3. Exercise Regularly
This might seem unrelated to what you are going through, but it certainly should not be overlooked. Exercise and mental health are very closely linked and working up a sweat is a proven stress-buster, so make sure that you stay active while applying for the visa. The type of activity and the length of the workout do not significantly alter the impact it has on stress, so even just doing ten minutes of an activity you enjoy can be enough. In fact, exercise will not just fix your stress, but it will actually improve your mood too. This is because it releases endorphins, which are essentially your body’s happy hormones.
4. Distract Yourself Productively
Your experience is going to be much worse if you are coming straight home from work just to spend your free time stressing about your visa. Once you have your checklist in place and you have everything ready for the next stage of the application, find some ways to distract yourself and put your worries to the back of your mind. This is a great opportunity to take up a new hobby, a creative project, or to learn something new. You could also help others by sharing your experiences in a blog.
5. Practice Mindfulness Techniques
Mindfulness is so popular now that many people are incorporating meditation and other techniques into their everyday lives. This is because it is very effective at helping them deal with stress, worry, and intrusive thoughts. It is also easier than ever to do nowadays. You can easily get started with YouTube videos and apps.
Conclusion: Australia Partner Visa
There is no getting around the fact that visa applications are stressful, but with the right coping strategies you can minimise the impact on your everyday life and mental health. Practising being focused and organised, maintaining a positive mindset and a healthy lifestyle, and not constantly checking timelines are all things that will help you keep anxiety at bay.
