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Culture Shock
Tips for Surviving in a World Gone Mad
Article by April Howard
In a funk? If you’re having a hard time adapting to your new surroundings, don’t despair. You are most likely experiencing a very common problem: culture shock. It isn’t always easy; there are highs and lows, ups and downs, but you can always get through them. Culture shock inevitably happens to everyone at some point in his or her travels, when one feels a deep sadness and/or depression. There are many theories to culture shock, but most people agree that feeling culture shock is the start of becoming part of the culture and happens on extended travels and/or study abroad experiences.
HERE ARE SOME POINTERS TO TRANSCEND THE BLAH AND GET BACK TO FEELING EXCITED ABOUT BEING IN A FABULOUS NEW PLACE.
- Keep a journal. Writing down your feelings is the best way to vent when you have no one to talk to. It also will give you time to process and overcome the depression you may be experiencing.
- Take a walk. Fresh air is a great remedy for the blues. Also, staying active keeps your mind and body in balance.
- Play your favorite music. Sing along to your favorite song, or go dancing at a club. Listening to music will keep your mind off the difficulties you may be having.
- Get lost. Take the subway and get off on an unfamiliar stop. Roam around the city, preferably in daylight, and discover a unique place that you can call your own. You can come back to it if you are feeling down in the future.
Go shopping. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. Try finding a special trinket or souvenir that you can’t buy at home. Every time you look at it will remind you of the awesome place you are in.
- Don’t mope. The worst thing you can do is sit around and do nothing. Also, when you’re in a bad mood, you can put everyone around you in one too. Take one for the team and perk up. Get out and experience your new surroundings.
- Don’t hide your feelings. Internalizing your depression and anger. Talk to friends and family, because chances are that everyone has experienced a bit of culture shock at some point in time.
- Think you’re in a bad spot? Imagine what it is like to come to America for the first time. Even if are returning from a trip abroad, you may have to readjust to the daily life Americans are accustomed to.
HERE ARE A COUPLE OF “WEIRD” AMERICAN THINGS THAT OTHERS FIND A LITTLE OUT OF THE NORM.
- The “Superfan” This person embodies the American stereotype of being loud and obnoxious by screaming and cheering at the top of his lungs at sports games, or when watching a game on television.
- The Vegetarian. Much like an alien, the vegetarian is met with hostility and confusion in other countries. Many people just can’t figure out why this person doesn’t eat any kind of meat, which is almost a form of sacrilege in many places.
HERE ARE A COUPLE OF INSIDER TIPS ON WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN TRAVELING ABROAD.
- Hold on to that extra change... squatting isn’t free! Expect to pay to use the loo whenever nature calls.
- Hellllooo sock tan! Unlike your lazy American self, most people in the rest of the world hoof it everywhere. Trade in those flip-flops for some comfy walking shoes. Your feet will thank you.
- You’ve got B.O.! Even if you don’t reek, it is an absolute guarantee that someone around you will. All of that close contact in the subway and bus during rush hour won’t leave you smelling like a rose. Do yourself a favor and slather on deodorant in the morning, and carry around some cologne or perfume for those not-so-fresh moments.
- Monster munchies. Adjusting to the food in other countries isn’t always easy, especially if you’re a vegetarian. Make an effort to try the local fare, but don’t expect supersize portions – they don’t exist anywhere else but in America. The first couple of days abroad will leave you praying for a hearty American meal!
CHECK OUT THESE BOOKS FOR INSIGHT AND MORE TIPS ON CULTURE SHOCK.
- Figuring Foreigners Out: A Practical Guide, by Craig Storti.
- The Culture Shock! series features a number of books that focus on cultural differences in many countries.
- Distant Mirrors: America As a Foreign Culture, by James D. Devita.
- The Chinese Have a Word for It: The Complete Guide to Chinese Thought and Culture, by Boye Lafay De Mente.
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