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5 Stages of Culture Shock
5 Stages of Culture Shock
Think of it as the travel boogeyman – by the time you notice it, you’re in its
claws and it’s not letting go. There are 5 stages of culture shock and they are
all manageable. You may even appreciate and enjoy a culture shock after
reading how to cope with one!
Luckily, there are some ways to help overcome travel shock or prevent
it to begin with. You might even begin to enjoy a little culture shock now and
then.
In 2013 I left Australia for the very first time and experienced my first foreign
culture shock. In Ireland. An English-speaking country which is similar to
Australia in many ways. Apparently, a different accent was enough for a
culture shock to set in back then for me.
Since then, some experiences I’ve had on the road would’ve had me book a
one-way ticket home and stay there. I want to go through how to make a
culture shock easier to deal with – and to learn they aren’t always a bad thing!
Read on for tips on how to recognize and enjoy the 5 stages of a culture shock
as well as how to overcome a cultural shock (you can get your free PDF in a
little).
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Culture shock can arise in my different ways and for many different
reasons. To understand how to prevent and adapt to a new travel experience,
we first need to understand it. There are 5 major phases of a culture shock.
They are listed in the usual order people experience them, so if you’re
currently experiencing culture shock, it may be a hint of what feelings and
emotions are to come along your path of travel enlightenment.
All the new foods, the people, the unforgettable attractions and things to
do. It’s all just so wonderful that nothing else really matters. This amazing
feeling of wanderlust differs for everyone a little. It might be even powerful
enough to get you through the jet lag or long travel times without too much
complaining.
Unfortunately, for most of us, this feeling doesn’t last too long before the next
stage sets in.
You may start to find frustrating systems or aspects of the culture in this
stage. Something just confuses and irritates you. Either because it’s different
than what you expect, or doesn’t make logical sense to your foreign-developed
mind. Or simply it frustrates you for reasons you don’t even know why. I catch
myself doing this inside my head at some point on almost every trip I take still.
“Wait, why would anyone do it like this?!” or “That’s a strange concept.” That
style of thinking is bred in the hostility stage and that allows irrational irritation
to set in. You might get frustrated easier, you might have trouble sleeping or
feel a need to shut yourself behind closed doors.
I’ve been there, I’ve felt it all. But now I notice when I begin to pick apart the
negative thoughts going on in my mind and try and move along to adjusting
way quicker.
3. Gradual adjustment
Fortunately, this is why this post exists. Once you identify elements of a culture
shock, you can work to overcome them, even if that is sub-consciously.
4. Adaptation
Sometimes, you might seem to skip over this stage. That you seem to just
keep gradually adjusting and never feel quite at home in a country or
city. There’s nothing wrong with that, sometimes a city might be too busy or a
country might be too laid back for your taste and you never really reach the
stage of full acceptance.
Helpful ways to adjust and more easily overcome travel culture shock are
listed below. Try a bunch of them out and I’d love to hear what did and didn’t
work for you – leave a comment at the bottom of this post!
This adaptation is a great thing. It’s how travel teaches us it’s best lessons. It’s
how we come back home with tales that make our friends and family
envious. But, now we are adjusted to this other society’s different ways of
life. What happens when we eventually return home?
I live in Canada, where you drive on the right-hand lanes of the road. When I
return home to Australia for a visit, I have to readjust to the rules of the road
being flipped upside down-under (yeah, sneaky little Australian joke). It isn’t
easy. Especially at driving higher speeds. It gives me small bouts of anxiety,
even though I lived there for the 23 years of my life.
But once again, I adapt. Like everything, if you spend long enough doing
something, you train yourself and it becomes the norm.
I want that!
The issue is, your loved ones and drinking buddies at the pub haven’t changed
in quite the same way. So when you start going through 10,000 pictures and
the unique and unforgettable stories behind each one, they get restless, look
at their phone or you notice their eyes start to glaze over a little.
I’ve experienced the feeling like I was boring people with my travel tales more
than once. You simply can’t pack that much great information into an hour or
two. It’s impossible. It’s not your friends of family’s fault, it’s just that they didn’t
experience this journey.
So while you have amazing, awe-inspiring stories of how you found yourself
backpacking through remote parts of Asia, it’s often difficult to instill this
passion in someone who’s held down a day job for the past 12 months.
Now I’m not saying this is always the case and I’ve had many conversations
with genuinely interested people, but it’s something to keep in the back of your
mind when you return home.
Here’s a quick and dirty guide of behavior and attitudes that can be affected by
a travel shock of cultures.
Irritation
Getting excessively frustrated over little things is a common sign of culture
shock. Minor transport delays, long restaurant lines, weather conditions, the
list could quite literally go on forever.
Mood swings
Swinging quickly from being happy and laughing to agitated or feeling down
could be another sign. I know I have had this happen to me. Because
everything was new in the adjusting stage I had difficulty regulating my mood.
Avoiding contact
Not wanting to interact with anyone, either locals or fellow travelers is another
sign of difficulties in adjusting. This could range from locking yourself away in a
hotel/hostel room, or simply avoiding people on the street from fear of
interaction.
Feeling vulnerable
Feeling as if you’re an easy target, and that if anything does happen, you’re on
your own to resolve the situation.
Lack of confidence
Kind of ties in to feeling vulnerable, lacking the confidence to resolve
problems, talk or interact with the local culture, or just feel as if you’re ready to
take on the next challenge around the corner.
Sleeping problems
Not being able to sleep is another common culture shock symptom, but it can
also go the other way as well. Being tired and sleeping too much is not only a
way of isolating yourself but can also make you more tired.
You might feel all of these, or none and have other symptoms of a culture
shock. Personally, I have felt all of these in one way, at some point during
travel. It doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person or traveler because you’re
struggling to adjust to a new destination or culture. It happens. To pretty much
everyone, just in different ways and severities.
I’d like to point out quickly again that all of these issues can arise for other
reasons. If you’re noticing these problems don’t ease off by using some of the
tips below, it might be worthwhile to keep a closer eye on why you’re feeling
the way you are.
So now we know exactly the types of thinking and emotions to be aware of,
how do we overcome a culture shock?
While some need you to interact with others, there are plenty of options if you
wish to overcome this new experience by yourself.
Whatever option(s) you try, just know that a culture shock won’t last forever
and more often than not, a flight home is always a last resort option if it all gets
too much. After all, travel should be fun and exciting, not being terrified of the
differences outside your hostel door!
Hope you enjoyed the comprehensive list to identify and overcome travel
culture shock
Stop comparing
“They don’t even have meat pies over here!!!” This highlights only the negative
aspects of a new culture. There’s plenty of ways to compare your fresh travel
destination with your home country. How are you going to learn and grow from
this journey if you’re picking out things you regard as faults compared to your
home nation?
Accept differences
“Their meat pies are surely different, but they don’t taste too bad!”. Still aboard
the Australian joke train. If you fly to the other side of the world, even a
neighboring country or city, things aren’t going to be the same. Diversity is
what exactly what makes travel rewarding and enjoyable. I’m not saying you
have to fall deeply in love with every difference, you won’t, but set off into this
adventure realizing there are going to be differences.
When it all boils down, every traveler is different. You will experience culture,
cuisine, language, etc and interpret it all differently than your best travel buddy
or partner. You’ll also react differently, whether or not it’s apparent on the
surface, there will be things you find harder to overcome than others and vice
versa.
It’s all about recognizing the signs of culture shock for you. And then learning
how to adapt and overcome in order to get the most out of the opportunities of
travel.
I want that!
As I mentioned, Ireland was the first foreign country I visited and, honestly, I
was scared. The other side of the world, all by myself. Looking back on it all,
there was nothing to worry about. But it sure didn’t feel like that at the time.
One of my first real shocks from travel was while in Egypt. I visited in mid-
2013, which happened to be between two quite large-scale revolutions. I was
on a guided tour (I wasn’t that game enough to travel completely solo just
yet). It was a low point for tourism, the vendors would be quite aggressive with
their sales techniques. The Australian Government even warned travelers to
rethink their plans. But I went anyways.
My most vivid memory was being in a minivan, with threats of rocket terrorist
attacks. Armed guards took everyone’s passports for around 3 hours – which
seemed like a lifetime. Trust me, I was scared. But after I made it out of Egypt
and had some unforgettable stories to tell.
The one thing that makes me smile whenever I think about it still? Even though
there was all this negativity in the news, the people I met on the streets were
friendly. Everyone I met was just regular people, and while some were pushy,
the vast majority made me fall in love with Egypt.
Culture Shocks can be enjoyable – it’s about keeping an open mind on the
road
Finally, one thing that is pretty important to mention, experiencing culture
shock is a normal part of travel and it doesn’t always mean you’re in
danger. But, sometimes dangerous situations develop in countries, I highly
suggest keeping an eye on developments on countries you’re visiting from a
trusted source.
As you can probably imagine, there’s so much to say about this topic, I’ve
likely overlooked many great points. That’s where you come in.
It’s got the basic information about the different levels of culture shock and
what to expect from each of them.
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