Love failure
Going through a breakup while living abroad
For the person working far from home, whose relationship has ended or is falling apart over the phone, with a shift to get through tomorrow.
By Mr. Chakkaravarthy RK
10+ years Experience in Life Coach & Counselling PractitionerDr. APJ Abdul Kalam National Excellence Award & Best Life Coach of India
Internationally Recognized Couples Coach, Relationship Coach, Student Coach and Career Coach. Neurobics Expert, Memory Coach, Train the Trainer and NLP Master.
Updated 2 November 2026 · about 5 minutes to read
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At home, your mother would see your face and ask. A friend would turn up. Here, you go to work, say you are fine, and go back to a shared room with your phone.
Love failure hurts anywhere. Far from home it can get worse because you are alone with it. Here is what helps.
How do I cope with a breakup when I am alone abroad?
Keep eating, sleeping and working on a routine, and tell one person. You need one daily conversation more than you need answers.
Keep the basics going and tell one person what happened. Eat at fixed times, go to work, and speak to someone every day, even briefly. The first weeks are about getting through, not about feeling better.
Far from home, nobody notices you are hurting. So you must tell someone. A friend back home, a sibling or a counsellor all count.
For the first two weeks
- One real conversation a day.
- Sleep at a fixed time, with the phone away from the bed.
- One walk or prayer outside the room.
How do I stop checking their phone status after a breakup?
Mute or archive the chat for a month, move the photos away, and message a friend when the urge comes.
When the whole relationship lived on a phone, the phone becomes the wound. Late night checking of last seen and old photos keeps the pain fresh.
You do not have to be dramatic about it. Mute or archive the chat for a month so you stop checking it, and agree with yourself not to send messages after 10 pm.
Make it harder to check
- Mute or archive their chat.
- Move photos to a folder you do not open.
- Give a friend the urge: message them instead.
Should I quit my job abroad after a breakup?
Not in the first weeks. Wait until you are sleeping better, because the decision affects your visa, income and family.
A breakup can make you want to resign, fly home or marry someone your parents choose, all in one week. These decisions affect your visa, your family's income and your future.
Give yourself a few weeks first. If you still want the change when you are sleeping better, it is more likely to be a real decision.
Wait before you
- Resign or break your contract.
- Say yes to a marriage proposal.
- Borrow money, or send it, to win someone back.
When should I talk to a counsellor about a breakup?
When weeks have passed and you still cannot sleep, eat or work, or when life feels pointless.
Talk to someone if weeks have passed and you still cannot sleep, eat or work, if you are drinking or isolating more, or if life starts to feel pointless.
In many families nobody speaks about these things. Talking in Tamil to someone outside your circle, who will not repeat it, can make a real difference.
Signs it is time
- Mistakes at work or missed shifts.
- Not sleeping for many nights.
- Thoughts of hurting yourself: call straight away.
To talk to Chakkaravarthy RK, call +91 74024 67044. In an emergency only: 112 · Embassy of India, Kuwait: +965 6550 1946 · 14416.
Where Feathers fits
Feathers offers private one-to-one sessions online for people living abroad, in Tamil or English, at a time that fits your shift.
This guide is published by Feathers Life Coach, a single-practitioner practice in Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, with sessions online for Tamil families in Kuwait, the Gulf and anywhere else.
Questions people ask first
How do I get over a breakup when I am alone abroad?
Keep food, sleep and work steady, tell one person, and stay off their profile. It will take time, and it will ease.
Should I go back to India after a breakup?
Not straight away. Wait a few weeks, because a move affects your job, visa and family.
Can I talk to a Tamil counsellor from my room in Kuwait?
Yes. A voice call works if you share a room and prefer not to use video, and sessions can be timed around your shift.
Will my family or company find out?
No. Sessions are private, and nothing is shared with your family or employer.
Talk it through with someone
One private conversation can make the next week lighter. Sessions are online by video or voice call, in Tamil or English, at a time that suits Kuwait or wherever you are. Nobody else needs to know.