There is a particular kind of tired that comes from living in a place that is not quite home yet. It is not the tiredness of jet lag or a busy week. It is deeper than that. It shows up in the small moments: standing in a grocery store unable to find a familiar brand, laughing a beat too late at a joke you did not fully understand, feeling a wave of homesickness triggered by nothing more than a certain slant of afternoon light.

If you are an expat, an international student, or someone who has relocated far from the place you grew up, you may know this feeling well. There is a name for what you are experiencing, and it is more common than you might think. It is called acculturation stress, and it deserves to be taken seriously.

For many people, work is more than a paycheck — it’s a place where we spend much of our time, energy, and sense of identity. But for those who identify as a racial, cultural, or ethnic minority, the workplace can also bring a unique set of challenges. Balancing professionalism while facing subtle (or not-so-subtle) biases, microaggressions, or feelings of isolation can take a quiet toll over time.