Culture Shock Signs and The Best Way to Deal With Them

Culture shock is inevitable and everyone in a new culture goes through it. The only difference is the amount of the shock people have and this depends on many factors (How much apart is the host culture from your own, system support, connection to your home,  previous cultural experiences etc..). 
Listening to your feelings and be of aware of your culture shock is fundamental in managing your culture shock. Here are some of the most common signs of culture shock and the strategies to overcome them. 
​​

1. Extreme homesickness ( You miss your family, your do, your bed, your food, your car and everything in your hometown.) For the most part people miss of these things back home because what they have is very different and sometimes hard to deal with. This happens at least after the honey moon stage which the first two weeks in the new culture where everything looks new, beautiful and fun. ​       
         Strategies to deal with extreme homesickness

• Ste​p a little bit out of your discomfort zone 
• Try eat something you like
• Avoid locking in yourself in the room, try talk to people and possibly let them know how you are feeling 
• Find a cultural mentor and talk about cultural differences ( If you are in Rwanda, get in touch with us to schedule a culture shock mentoring session

2. Disorientation and isolation: Language barriers and other cultural practices and mannerisms sometimes are overwhelming which will make you want to go away from the host culture and lock yourself in the room or spend most of your time in coffee shops and go home very late. This happens a lot with people doing long home stays experience.          

 Strategies to deal with Isolation

• Remind yourself why you are here? 
• Stay engaged even when you feel you are want to isolate 
• Talk about it with someone you trust 
• List down/ remind yourself of  things that you find enjoyable in the new culture
• Talk to cultural mentor and use all the the expression you want to use to discharge yourself 

3. Excessive critical reactions to host culture/stereotyping: In the first two weeks in the new culture people talk about the beauty and how everything looks different and fun. When the honey moon stage ends things cease being fun but rather annoying and people start complaining. When this continues it leads to being hostile to the new culture and only see the negatives. 

Strategies to deal with cultural related irritation

• Remember cultures are different and every culture has its weaknesses 
  
• Remember not everything is perfect back home ( in your culture)
• Avoid complaining a lot about cultural differences 
  
• Try to see people as different individuals
• ​Talk to a cultural mentor 
  

​

4. Bad -Tempered:  Gradual cultural shock experience develops unconscious sadness which might come out  as inappropriate anger and hostility when talking to people. This make sense that people in this mood will have poor relationships and ultimately this could lead to complete inability to function in the host culture. ​

Strategies to deal with cultural related irritation

• Do not allow bad culture shock experience sink in, always ask what you do no not understand. 
• Find time and listen to good music, watch a movie 
• Write a daily journal and talk about your experience 
• Talk to a cultural mentor