Culture shock is a feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subject to an unfamiliar culture, lifestyle or set of attitudes. When most people feel culture shock, they start thinking about people moving back home. It can feel like being punched in the face when traveling from home to a foreign country. It is not comfortable.
Some days, the shock will leave you frustrated, depressed, or withdrawn. Those days are more important than ever to connect with friends, family and other loved ones.
How to deal with culture shock
For most people culture shock is inevitable, but there are things you can do to lessen the effect:
·Research before traveling: No matter your destination, you don't want to go blind. If you don't know what to expect, adjusting to your new home will be more difficult than you expect.
·Make an effort to meet new people: When you find yourself in a new location where you don't know anyone, your first instinct will be to stay in your apartment. Make friends with your colleagues, explore restaurants near your apartment and find events to meet new people.
·Don't lose touch with your loved ones: One of the first things you want to do when researching the new country is to look at time zones and plan how to keep in touch with friends and family back home. When things get difficult, this will reduce the blow of reverse culture shock.
·Stay open and positive. The fact that you are willing to travel to another country shows how open you are already. There will be times when you want something familiar. It's normal. If you feel depressed, call some friends or talk to your family. Don't be afraid to be open about your feelings while living abroad.
·Learn new life skills. If you move to somewhere that speaks a different language than your first one, repat coach Elyssa Preston recommends that you learn some common phrases. For days when you miss familiar dishes, learning how to cook them will come in handy and help keep your moods high on homesick days.