How do I survive culture shock?

Culture shock is a more intense experience than the brief discomfort people feel when confronting strange things to eat or unfamiliar social norms.
Culture shock symptoms are brought on by a long period of having to cope with unfamiliar ways of doing, organizing, perceiving, and valuing things.
Culture shock symptoms include exaggerated homesickness, excessive sleeping, loss of sense of humor, avoiding contact with local people, and frequent periods of boredom or apathy.
Reverse culture shock refers to the psychological and emotional distress experienced by people when returning to their home country or culture after an extended period of time living in a foreign culture or country.
Coping mechanisms for culture shock include realizing what is happening to you, engaging with your host culture, getting involved in a hobby, building a support network, and consciously increasing your curiosity about the place where you serve.

Mission Briefing: Ideas That Affect World Mission Outreach Today

Cultural adjustment stages

People often think the feelings arising in encounters with strange foods or customs constitute "culture shock." In reality, those brief moments of discomfort are not what anthropologists mean by culture shock. Instead, anthropologists and psychologists use "culture shock" to label the confusion, doubt, and nervousness common to people who have recently begun living cross-culturally and who are also experiencing one or more of the following:

Exaggerated homesickness
Excessive sleeping
Loss of sense of humor
Avoiding contact with local people by spending hours on email, the internet, and social media
Suffering psychosomatic illnesses
Frequent feelings of boredom or apathy
Inexplicable bouts of weeping
Eating compulsively
Diminished ability to work productively
High level of irritability
Hostility toward people of the host culture
Jingoism or super-patriotism
Stereotyping of people in the host culture
Exaggerated attention to cleanliness

Real culture shock is therefore more deep-seated than the momentary discomfort felt when we confront strange things to eat or unfamiliar social norms. Culture shock is not the kind of "shock" we have experienced when we say, "That really shocked me." Culture shock is more like what a physical body experiences after a severe trauma when medical professionals say it has gone "into shock."

What anthropologists call culture shock grows out of a long period of coping with unfamiliar ways of doing, organizing, perceiving, and valuing things. Indeed, because people experience culture shock symptoms over a period of time rather than in one isolated event, some anthropologists say "cycle of adjustment" rather than "culture shock."

Culture shock symptoms will be quite evident in some people and less so in others. Nonetheless, the cycle of adjustment (or culture shock) -- honeymoon, frustration, adjustment, and acceptance -- is inevitable. Though culture shock is not a medical condition, the psychological disorientation, withdrawal, and excessive sleeping can be compared to organisms going into physical shock after a trauma.

Culture shock symptoms may come and go over a period of time. Describing her experiences in Senegal, missionary Linda Louw said, "I thought culture shock was something that you got through, and it was done, but it just keeps coming."

The sense of unease and heightened irritability common in the frustration stage can be triggered by small things. The adjustment stage usually does not kick in until a person has become familiar with and increasingly comfortable in a new culture.

Fortunately, the effects of culture shock can be somewhat softened. Here are half a dozen coping suggestions:

Realize what is happening to you and why.
Remind yourself that this happens to every expatriate in varying degrees and that people do regularly survive it.
Refuse to succumb to the desire to withdraw from people. Choose instead to engage with those of your host culture.
Get involved in a hobby that involves in some way the place where you serve.
Be bold about reaching out to people in your host culture to build a support network of confidants. , Enlist individuals to help you improve your language and cultural acquisition.
Consciously ratchet up your level of curiosity about the wildlife, geography, plant life, history, literature, foods, social norms, folk tales, children's stories, proverbs, legends, and fables of the place where.

Reflection Questions About Culture Shock

How would you articulate the difference between people's brief discomfort when encountering strange foods or customs and what anthropologists mean by culture shock?
What are some of the symptoms of culture shock that people may experience when living cross-culturally?
What is the cycle of adjustment, and how does it relate to culture shock?
What coping mechanisms can individuals use to help soften the effects of culture shock?
Why might it be important to consciously increase one's curiosity about the place where they serve when experiencing culture shock?

This blog post on a critical issue in world missions outreach is an article in the "Mission briefing" series published in Engage, a monthly online magazine.

Acrostic: Coping with Culture Shock

C - Connect with locals: Engage with people from the new culture to build understanding and gain support.
O - Open your mind: Stay open to new ideas, experiences, and ways of doing things.
P - Practice patience: Adjusting takes time, so be patient with yourself and others.
I - Invest in self-care: Take time for activities that help you relax and recharge.
N - Nurture your curiosity: Learn about the culture, traditions, and history to deepen your connection.
G - Give yourself grace: Acknowledge that culture shock is a normal part of adaptation and be kind to yourself during the process.

Like acrostics? Here are more of them

Understanding culture stress

Survival skills for missionaries, foreign exchange students, and others working to weather cultural shock as they bridge cultural differences

This animated diagram illustrates two paths people take during the four phases of long-term cross-cultural encounters. Kalvero Oberg coined the term "culture shock" in 1954. It's a good label for the psychological experience of adults during the cultural adjustment period that accompanies a period of cultural socialization or acculturation (which is different from the enculturation process experienced by children). The cultural adjustment period usually includes some disorientation brought on by such things as being confused as to where the cultural boundaries are.

The confusion and anxiety brought on by cultural stress or culture shock may cause us to think, do, or say things that are contrary to God's purpose.

diagram showing how cultural adjustment can happen

Diagram is used by permission from Duane Elmer's Cross-Cultural Connections (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002) and under the "fair use" provisions for educational purposes of copyright laws.

Symptoms of culture shock:

Unwarranted criticism of the culture and people
Heightened irritability
Constant complaining about the climate
Continually offering excuses for staying indoors
Utopian ideas concerning one's previous culture
Continuous concern about the purity of water and food
Fear of touching local people
Refusal to learn the language
Preoccupation about being robbed or cheated
Pressing desire to talk with people who "really make sense."
Preoccupation with returning home

Stages most people go through in adjusting to a new culture

Fun: The excitement and adventure of experiencing new people, things, and opportunities.
Flight: Disorientation brings the urge to avoid everything and everyone that is different.
Fight: Temptations to judge people and things that are different as bad or foolish.
Fit: Creative interaction with the new culture that includes a willingness to understand and embrace.

"One of the best defenses [against severe culture shock] is knowledge. . . Know what you are likely to experience" — Diana N., Nazarene Bible College student

Five Ways to Survive Culture Shock

How can we cope with the disorientation of adjusting to a new culture? Having information about culture shock is an initial step. Attempting to distance ourselves from an ethnocentric worldview will help. Then, to successfully cope, let's make sure that our attitudes mirror those suggested in green and red in the top half of the diagram. As you work through cultural socialization, follow these five steps to survive situations where verbal and non-verbal cues and codes are unfamiliar to you:

1. Focus on what you can control.: When we suffer culture shock, we often feel out of control. So, don't spend energy on things you cannot change.
2. Don't invest major energy in minor problems.: Don't make "mountains out of molehills" more quickly in cross-cultural situations than you do in your own culture.
3. Tackle major stressors head-on.: Don't avoid things.
4. Ask for help.: Create a support network in your target culture. This can include expatriates like yourself as well as people of the local culture.
5. Write it down.: Record your thoughts and frustrations in a journal. This will give you a healthy outlet for expressing your feelings.

Knowing how to survive culture shock or stress can be helpful to missionaries as well as foreign students who come to our country to study.

Help from the Bible

Can Holy Scripture help us with cross-cultural adjustment? Well, the Book of Acts would be a good place to start. It has several examples of cultural adjustment or socialization. Paul, who grew up in modern-day Turkey and was educated in Jerusalem, moved around the Mediterranean planting churches in different cultural contexts. To the Philippians, he wrote: "I learned to be content whatever the circumstances." (Philippians 4:11). As Paul coped with various cultural issues, he was also dogged by Jewish Christians from Israel who tried to force Gentile converts to become Jewish (in which case Christianity would have been a mono-cultural movement).

Another relevant Biblical event is the story of Ruth. Here's a young woman who left her home country and culture and moved to Israel. Ultimately, she wound up on the list of Jesus' ancestors (Matthew 5:1)!

Comparison of Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock

Culture shock and reverse culture shock are both phenomena experienced when an individual is exposed to a different culture or returns to their own culture after an extended period away. Here are the differences between the two:

Culture Shock

Definition:
- Culture shock refers to the feelings of confusion, anxiety, and disorientation that you experience when you are suddenly exposed to a new and unfamiliar culture.
Context:
- Occurs when you move to a new country or culture.
Stages:
- Honeymoon Stage: Initial excitement and fascination with the new culture.
- Frustration Stage: Realization of differences, leading to frustration and confusion.
- Adjustment Stage: Gradual understanding and adaptation to the new culture.
- Acceptance Stage: Full or partial adaptation, where you feel comfortable and functions well in the new culture.
Symptoms:
- Homesickness
- Irritability
- Anxiety and stress
- Difficulty in communication due to language barriers
- Confusion about social norms and customs
Coping Mechanisms:
- Learning the local language and customs
- Seeking support from fellow expatriates or locals
- Maintaining a positive attitude and being open to new experiences

Reverse Culture Shock

Definition:
- Reverse culture shock, also known as re-entry shock, refers to the feelings of confusion, frustration, and disorientation that you experience when you return to your home country after living abroad for an extended period.
Context:
- Occurs when you returns to your home country after adapting to a different culture.
Stages:
- Disengagement Stage: Anticipation and excitement about returning home.
- Initial Euphoria: Initial joy and relief of being back home.
- Irritability and Hostility: Realization that home culture has changed or feels different, leading to frustration.
- Readjustment and Adaptation: Gradual readjustment to the home culture.
Symptoms:
- Feeling out of place in your own own country
- Frustration with cultural norms and values that were once familiar
- Nostalgia for the culture and lifestyle experienced abroad
- Difficulty in reconnecting with family and friends who have not shared the same experiences
Coping Mechanisms:
- Reconnecting with fellow returnees who understand the experience
- Integrating positive aspects of the host culture into daily life at home
- Allowing time for readjustment and being patient with yourself
- Seeking support from friends, family, or professional counselors

Key Differences

Context: Culture shock occurs when entering a new culture. Reverse culture shock happens after returning to one's home culture.
Symptoms: Culture shock involves adapting to new customs and norms. Reverse culture shock involves readapting to familiar yet altered customs and norms.
Emotional Journey: Culture shock often starts with excitement that turns into frustration. Reverse culture shock can begin with relief that turns into a sense of alienation.
Coping Strategies: Both involve seeking support and allowing time for adjustment, but the focus of support may differ (e.g., learning new customs vs. reintegrating old ones).

Understanding these differences can help you better prepare for and manage your experiences when transitioning between cultures.

More on reentry shock / reverse culture shock