Culture shock

Phases of culture shock: x-axis: Time y-axis: Contentment -> Departure | Honeymoon [highest contentment] | actual culture shock, Crisis [low contentment] | Return [stagnent contentment on a good level again] | Culture shock by your own culture [lowest contentment]

Going abroad gives you the chance to face new adventures and to experience things that are not usually part of your everyday life. But this step also brings with it a few challenges, especially in the first couple of days or weeks in a new country.

This time can become very emotional and stressful but that is absolutely normal. On the one hand, there is the excitement for new things to come but on the other side there is the uncertainty and unfamiliarity of a foreign culture. This emotional inner conflict is an absolutely normal mental reaction to that change and is part of the adjustment process called culture shock.

The extent of the culture shock is different for everybody and always depends on the experience level and the attitude towards change of each person as well as the country’s safety and your knowledge about the new culture. It is an essential part of arriving in a new country because of the process of getting to know and used to traditions and behaviours that seem foreign to us at first.

The typical process of culture shock consists of four phases:

1.       Honeymoon phase: Immediately after arrival everything is exciting and new. The curiosity about this new country and its people is dominating the emotions.

2.       Culture shock: In this phase first problems in contacting locals or with the language occur. You are confused by the culture compared to your own and might make stupid cultural mistakes. At this point you realize that you can or should no longer compare the new culture with your own one.

3.       Adjustment: In the third phase it starts to get better emotionally. You develop an understanding for the manners in the country and start to make friends. Soon, you will feel just like home in the new country and realize the advantages and disadvantages of both cultures.

4.       Reverse culture shock: Unfortunately, the culture shock doesn’t end once you get back home. There you can experience a culture shock in your own country.

There are a few tips to be able to better deal with a culture shock and to make the first days in a new country a bit easier. Firstly, it is important to stay positive and to remind yourself that you are not alone. There are many people in the same situation as yours. You should purposely try the things from that new culture such as the food and to take part in local activities and festivals. But it is very important to always respect the local traditions. It can be very useful to also learn the new language and to speak as much as possible even if you make mistakes in the beginning; this is the best way to learn fast. And it is a great possibility to meet new people and make friends and get more comfortable with the culture. However, it is also important to take some time for yourself to calm down and reflect everything that happened so far. This is the best way to overcome the culture shock and to begin your exciting time abroad.