A moment ago, everything was fine in the new country - the new job is fun, you're getting to know your surroundings and many things that were so new are starting to become familiar.
Everything was just fine and you were happy, and then suddenly and without warning – whaaam - you feel miserable and start to question everything - your job, your decision to move to another country, the people around you. You feel alienated in your own environment, insecure and overwhelmed. To make matters worse, there is usually no professional support from the sending employer in the home country or the new employer in the destination country. The posting abroad is often seen as a reward for the employee, who must be happy simply because of the posting. The difficulties in the adaptation process are not seen or not taken seriously.
Quite a few expatriates wonder whether they are imagining things and doubt themselves. Family and friends are often not much help here either, as they have not (yet) had this experience and therefore cannot understand it - we are talking about the phenomenon of culture shock.
Culture shock can have various causes, such as cultural differences, language barriers or separation from family and friends. For many expatriates, this phase comes unprepared and unexpectedly. This can be the case after a few weeks, but also after a few months. It takes time to adapt to the new situation and overcome the culture shock. It is important to give yourself time and be open to new experiences. It is important to know that although the culture shock experience is very individual, it can be roughly divided into different phases:
Phase 1: euphoria and enthusiasm
In this phase, people often feel excited and curious about the new culture. They are full of energy and want to explore and get to know everything. Everything appears to be interesting and positive.
Phase 2: phase of frustration and confusion
In this phase, negative feelings such as confusion, frustration, irritability and homesickness often occur. Norms that are familiar from the home country do not apply in the new country or apply with deviations that are not immediately easy to understand. People feel overwhelmed by the cultural differences and
find it difficult to adapt. At the same time, this confusion makes it difficult for them to put into words what they are experiencing internally.
Phase 3: adaptation and acceptance
In this phase, people slowly begin to adapt to and accept the new culture. They develop new routines, find support in the community and learn to deal with cultural differences.
Phase 4: integration and adaptation
In this phase, people manage to fully integrate into the new culture. They feel comfortable and confident in their new environment and have learned to deal with and appreciate the cultural differences.
It is important to note that not every culture shock occurs in exactly these phases and that people can stay in each phase for different lengths of time. It is also possible for people to move back and forth between different phases. It can be helpful to seek support from other people in similar situations or to seek professional help to cope with culture shock.
photo / source: own