Like a Fish out of Water: Stages of Culture Shock

Honeymoon Period

In the early days, you may not feel the stress involved in relocating not just your home, but your whole life. In this “honeymoon period”, which can last from a couple of weeks to six months, you’ll be too busy swanning about, tasting the new food and exploring the place to notice.

Crisis of Confidence

You’ll know the symptoms of culture shock have kicked in when you feel aggressive and hostile, and start to criticize the place, its ways and its people. The second stage, “crisis and disintegration”, is when the strain of daily life simply gets too much. Stripped of social and cultural cues, you don’t know when to shake hands, when to accept or refuse invitations, and which statements to take seriously and which not. And, when even simple things like posting a parcel, driving or using the telephone have to be learned again, frustration, anxiety and confusion inevitably set in. Feeling like a fish out of water, peace of mind and efficiency fly out the window.

With everything lost and nothing yet gained, this crisis of confidence can result in depression and mild agoraphobia, sleep disturbance and headaches. Irrational fears set in a preoccupation with health or cleanliness, and over-emotional reactions to delays or minor irritations. You may long for home and people that make sense. “You really wish you could just go to sleep and wake up used to your new surroundings” says Mary van der Boon, who settled in the Netherlands. “Alas, you just have to live through it!”

Readjustment & Reintegration

The most critical stage is “readjustment and reintegration.” Rejecting and blaming the host culture for all your problems, you complain with your countrymen, glorifying home. At the end of this stage, you either accept cultural differences, or decide to leave.

Autonomy & Acceptance

When you find your sense of humor coming back you’re on the road to recovery. It can take up to a year to reach “Autonomy, the final stage”, where you can accept the customs of the country as just another way of life, appreciate the good things and get on with the business of living. And, when you go home, it starts all over again. “Re-entry shock” may be the biggest culture shock of all. Nothing has changed at home, but you have.

Source: www.languageadvantage.com Excerpted from Culture shock will happen! by Nicki Grihault of CULTURE SHOCK! Consulting

stages of culture shock