How to deal with stress when moving to Ecuador

Having had experience with living in other countries we eliminated one potential stress factor which was costs involved by allocating more money than we actually budgeted for the move. And as it turned out everything ended up costing more including rent, going out, and other things.

As far as anxiousness, the best advice is to make sure you have all your paperwork in order and per required time-limit before arriving in Ecuador, and after that it's just a matter of waiting. That was one source of anxiousness, the “time limit”, or 180 days validity that some documents had which was cutting it close.

As for living in Ecuador stress, for me personally this is the least stressful country but stress sometimes exists and the source(s) are usually outside of Ecuador. Thankfully normal life stress but nevertheless stress, and I alleviate it in two ways. The best way is by running which I normally do. It's simply an outlet, and after each run is very good feeling which lasts for the night. Also going out with a friend and having a good time, sharing a jirafa (beer tower) and talking about things, helps.

After the first 7 months of living in Ecuador and dealing with the process of extending my  tourist Visa (one of the earliest to try to do so after the law changed) and then getting a 2 year temporary Investor Visa, and now completing my Cedula application and drivers license process I have seen my share of the bureaucracy. When I start to get frustrated I a) take a walk on the beach.....that calms all things, and  b) take a few minute to consider what people trying to immigrate to the USA go through. Suddenly I am calm and very grateful that the beautiful country of Ecuador allows us to come and live here and share the bounty. That is a stark difference in process and attitude when compared to the USA's latest "lock the door behind you" attitude.