A British expat has warned her compatriots not to make the same mistake she did when she moved to Australia last year. The 30-year-old woman migrated to Sydney from London in October 2025, but said the move left her suffering a 'mental breakdown' just weeks later.
Taking to TikTok last month, the Brit filmed herself sunbathing on Bondi Beach and said: 'Don’t come to Sydney in October unless you fancy a mental breakdown.' In her video, she explained that she intentionally moved Down Under in October so she could still enjoy the British summer, and then get to Sydney in time for the weather to get warmer. However, she did not factor in that Christmas would fall just 10 weeks after she arrived, and she struggled more than she expected.
'One thing I would change about moving to Sydney is probably the time that I moved here,' she said. 'I moved here in October and my thought process was, enjoy the English summer and then as soon as it starts getting cold, move to Sydney for their summer. Moving here in October, obviously, you get the weather, but within 10 weeks of me being here, it was Christmas. That was a bad, bad decision.'
She said that by Christmas Day, her mental health was 'nowhere to be seen' and she was heartbroken to be spending the holiday so far away from her loved ones. 'I’d only given myself 10 weeks in the country before I had the most significant day of the year, when you should be with your family and friends doing all these festive activities,' the Brit continued. 'It really rocked my nervous system to the core. If you’re thinking about coming here in October, I would just say, 10 weeks is not enough to feel settled somewhere and then having a big event like Christmas, it’s really tough being far away from home.'
Instead, she advised other expats to move Down Under after New Year as they would still be able to spend Christmas with their family in Britain and then enjoy Australia's hottest months. The expat's video struck a chord with other Brits, and many took to the comments to sympathise with her. 'It takes a while to make REALLY good mates who you’d be happy to spend Christmas with in Australia, plus finding accommodation is a task too,' one person said. 'I was exactly in the same boat, girl. You’ve got this. Just try and remember the memories you're making,' added another. 'I was here for months and pretty well settled already, and Christmas hit pretty hard still,' a third person penned. Others thanked the TikToker for sharing her insight and said they would plan their trip differently because of it.
