What
is Culture Shock?
Will I get Culture
Shock?
If I do - what can I do about it?
Yeah, you'll
probably get it. But "shock" is usually a bit of an
overstatement.
You can
expect to feel euphoric (I finally made it!),
Angry (Why
can't I make things work like back home!),
Depressed
and disappointed (Everything isn't exactly like I
wanted/expected it to be!),
And isolated
(I don't really know anyone here).
It's okay -
this is normal. After all this is a very big time in
your life - of course you will have some strong feelings
about it!
Natural
Reactions
These
emotional reactions are all natural responses to the
situation you will find yourself in overseas. How to
deal with it? Get busy - personal projects, work,
travel, making friends, even volunteering. But, also
take a little time and just recognize the feelings for
what they are. If you are naturally shy (some of
us are!), volunteer where you can meet lots of people.
The structure of some volunteer roles can create a
setting where it is easy to meet people and strike up
conversations, and eventually form friendships.
One of the
best articles about dealing with Culture Shock is at
About.com:
Culture Shock.
Don't forget
that you can have problems with your job, boss,
landlord, and friends back home too. Don't blame it all
on your host country.
Know that
once you have lived in several countries, the effects of
culture shock diminish as you learn to have more
realistic expectations, and as you just naturally learn
how to deal with it.
Surviving
Uncertainty
Part of the
issue with culture shock is also the uncertainty of your
new situation - how it is going to evolve - and your
general feelings about it. Follow the same course of
treatment for culture shock! Quit moping around the
house and get busy!
Check the
chart below for a better understanding of what goes on
and your choices:
