Almost everyone who lives abroad for a long period goes through a “readjustment cycle to a new culture”.

A very common question is: “Is all this sacrifice worth it?” Working in underemployment, missing family and friends, severe climate change (very cold), sharing housing to reduce costs, etc.

This feeling is amplified when some difficulties occur during the period we stay in the foreign country, the first feeling is the desire to return to your country.

To be able to interact in the world, we depend on our ability to understand hundreds of signals, and respond according to numerous explicit and implicit rules. Many tasks that we do are automatic and require little effort.

On the other hand, the opposite happens when we live abroad. Simple tasks become more difficult because everything is different from what we are used to, missing our normal routine and the ability to do simple things.

Everything is done differently, we cannot communicate what we want to effectively and we often suffer from anxiety, because we do not know how to behave. Our actions and words do not receive the expected response, and on the other hand we do not understand the messages that we receive. 

The signs are different from what we are used to. We face new values, new ways of thinking and doing things. Our common sense or logic does not apply to local culture. Anxiety becomes a permanent state of mind. It feels like you’re undergoing an exam 24 hours a day.

The 4 phases of Cultural adjustment

The changes occur little by little, it is an accumulation of events, from small to large cultural conflicts, divided into four phases:

Phase 1 – “The tourist phase”.

At the beginning you experience a feeling of euphoria, when you take lots of photos and you are very happy with the change. You notice some surprising similarities with your country and the differences become interesting.

Phase 2 – Frustration

The few elements of the new culture start to become uncomfortable and are not so charming anymore. Your curiosity turns to irritation, impatience, frustration, anger and sadness. Small annoyances become big frustrations. You feel emotionally and physically drained. The differences gain greater proportions and so do the rigorous and negative judgments of the local culture.

Phase 3 – Acceptance

Eventually you start to adapt and learn from the change. In this period, you begin to accept local peculiarities, or accept your negative feelings and find new ways to deal with the situation. Self-confidence returns and you feel less isolated and more comfortable.

Phase 4 – Adaptation

Finally, you start to feel at home and enjoy what the country has to offer and the local culture. Your sense of humor comes back, you make new friends, become more experienced, know the place well and can give advice or tips to newbies.

Fortunately, culture shock is predictable and fleeting. If you are mentally prepared, you can control the situation. After the experience of living abroad, people feel more culturally enriched and with expanded horizons. However, changes are always difficult and there is always a feeling of loss.

Thus, prior mental preparation and positive attitudes are essential. Some positive attitudes can help you deal with culture shock:

• Find a friend who knows the local culture well and who can be your guide.
• Learn about local people and the environment. 
• Avoid people who complain or are negative about the country.
• Avoid critical negative thoughts about local people or the local culture. 
• Keep in touch with native people and local cultural activities. 
• Keep your sense of humor!

If you liked this article, share it with a friend who is still in this phase of cultural adjustment and adaptation and could benefit from this information.

Wishing you the best of luck in this new journey abroad. 

Silvana