Throughout the initial phase, which is generally regarded to as the “honeymoon,” everything you see and face in the nation you are travelling to is exciting and upbeat. However, throughout the second phase, regarded as “culture shock,” you may have a typical feeling of discomfort and dislocation. Discover the signs of culture shock to help you adjust easily:
- You lose your sense of humor and experience discomfort, anger, confusion, irritability, or frustration.
- You restrict yourself, spend too much time by yourself, and stay away from other people.
- You begin to have unfavourable opinions about the people living there and their culture.
- You have excessive eating and drinking habits or need extra sleep.
- You’re bored, tired, and unable to concentrate or operate efficiently.
Throughout the third and last “ adjustment ” period, you begin to adapt to your new journey and strike a balance between the honeymoon and culture shock stages. After living abroad, you could effectively suffer from “reverse culture shock.” When you come back to Canada, be ready to face a time of readjustment.
Eventually, the emotions you experience should reduce as you get used to your new society. You can adjust to culture shock by following some advice:
- Learn about the habits, laws, and culture of the country you are visiting before you leave.
- Learn some of the language; even a few words can assist you feel less alone.
- Make an effort to exercise frequently, eat healthily, and get sufficient sleep.
- Connect with loved ones, even if it’s only via text or email, if at all possible.
- Excessive use of alcohol, drugs, and nicotine can worsen stress.
Develop connections and make acquaintances. By getting to know the locals, you can defeat cultural barriers and obtain a better understanding of the country. Additionally, it will help you be more informed about cultural adjustments and conventions.
