By Cha Jones, Expat Coach
Just when you were finally getting use to the weird things your neighbors did, you up and relocate to an entirely different country with its own culture. Now, you walk down the street and find yourself totally immersed in all things foreign. There is the constant chatter that the natives maintain as conversation although it is extraneous and after a while utterly annoying. Maybe it is not that you do not understand the language, but you are trying to deal with the traditions and customs that seem ridiculously bizarre or the lack of one’s personal space is driving you insane. Those are all the symptoms of being immerse in another culture and considered culture shock.
Culture shock is the feel of frustration from being in an unfamiliar environment, which interrupts everything that you consider normal or routine. Culture shock typically does not occur until after the marriage has commenced and the date with your foreign affair has departed. It is when you locked into a long assignment with no foreseeable departure date, and you being to feel overwhelmed by the daily differences of your new environment. Culture shock kicks in just when you realize that the newness of the adventure is becoming an old satire of your journeys reality. You are no longer visiting, you are a resident, and what is simple to deal with on a short-term basis has become frustrating and uncomfortable.
Here are a few tips to help you deal with culture shock…
- Most culture shock occurs when routines interrupt, so try to set new schedules and get a new routine that is conducive to your new environment.
- Try to incorporate some of the traditions of your host country into your daily routine.
- Seek out cultural class or try learning the language.
- Try to immerse into your host country, hangout this some of your native co-workers. Having friends outside of work helps make the transition better.
- “Remember that when in Rome do as the Romans do.” Try not to go against the grain and get involved where you are, fighting the flow of things only makes life difficult, so let go and do as the natives do.
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