Culture Shock is the feeling of disorientation, confusion, and anxiety that comes when someone moves to a new country or place far away from their hometown, and starts to experience a new culture, way of life, or a set of attitudes.

This cultural adjustment can occur as well, when someone goes on vacation, does Erasmus, or even travel for business, and this comes when they experience different weather, local customs, language, food, and values.

The Phases of Cultural Shock

This process has, different phases, everyone adjusts in different ways, and it can take up to months to overcome.

The beginning is always the most difficult, culture shock is not caused by a particular event but increases due to a series of incidents.

There are different stages of culture shock, there are people who don’t go through all of these and either just go through the first one or get stuck in some of the others.

The Honeymoon Phase

The first stage is called the honeymoon phase, which is the excitement that is anticipated before arriving at the new place and the subsequent feeling of adventure when you are starting to live the experience. For those who are on a long term, it eventually ends.

The Frustration Phase

In the frustration phase, events such as not understanding other people’s attitudes, and the way they do certain things and conversations start to happen, and with that comes feelings of frustration and disorientation, and tiredness becomes part of the routine.

The Adaption Phase

The third stage is adaptation, with this phase, more positive feelings begin to flourish, there is a better adjustment to the new environment, people feel more at home, and understanding others and the new culture becomes easier and more harmonious.

The Acceptance Phase

The acceptance phase is the last and the most positive. During this period people experience everything differently, their beliefs and thoughts change, and their sense of humor returns. All obstacles and situations that caused sadness and frustration in the past are resolved and help to continue the process in a more peaceful and rational way, as growth is experienced.

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