Australia Culture Shock

Any time you move to a new place or country, you are bound to face some anxiety and stress, otherwise known as culture shock. It can manifest itself as unease or unfamiliarity with a place, and will often be felt in the first few weeks of living in a new place.

But don’t worry! It is only temporary, and there are lots of resources and places to go to get help with feeling worried or homesick. And it is all worth it for the chance to learn new skills and perspectives on the world other than your home country.

There are many symptoms which can help identify culture shock. A major feeling can be homesickness, or missing your culture and family. Some of these may include feeling frustrated or anxious with the new place. You may feel a lack of direction, and confusion about how to do things in your new culture. You might not know what is the right or wrong thing to do in a new country or place. It can be a very confusing time, during which you feel sad, lonely or melancholy. You can even feel aches and pains more intensely. You may experience mood swings, during which you may feel depressed, vulnerable or powerless. Below is a list of further symptoms you may experience:

-    You may feel moody and irritable, and feel unwilling to relate to others
-    You might romanticize your home country over your new environment
-    You may experience difficulty sleeping
-    A loss of identity or self can be felt
-    You might feel less confident in yourself, and find it harder to solve simple problems
-    Feeling incompetent or unsure of yourself
-    Creating typecasts about the new country you find yourself in
-    Feeling unseen, exploited or ill-treated.

(Adapted from edweb.sdsu.edu/people/CGuanipa/cultshok.htm)

It is perfectly normal to experience any or all of these emotions when relocating to a new place. In fact, it can be broken down into different stages which can be ongoing, or manifest themselves only at certain times.

1.    The Honeymoon Phase
During this time, you will see the differences between your old culture and the new culture you find yourself in as exciting and new. You might find the new food or lifestyle exciting, and eager to absorb the new surroundings such as buildings and cityscapes, or even the pace of life.

2.    The ‘Everything is Awful’ Phase
This may come on during your rime overseas when the many differences between cultures begin to add up. You might have a difficult time with something or a crisis in your day to day life, and experience negative emotions because of that. An example could be a difficulty with the language barrier, or when things that you previously believed to be great start to bother you.

3.    The ‘Everything is OK’ Phase
This phase will develop as you gradually become accustomed to the differences in this new culture. You will develop daily routines, and gain better understanding of the culture. At this point you may develop feelings of contentment and psychological balance, and will no longer react to the new culture either positively or negatively because you will become accustomed to it. You will then develop basic living patterns similar to your life in your home culture.

There are many ways to help yourself overcome the obstacle of culture shock. You can prepare yourself before you even reach the new culture by reading about it and familiarizing yourself with the new culture’s language and customs. You can also read further into culture shock and learn how it may affect yourself so that you can recognize these effects on yourself. Remain patient, and try to be yourself, while you adapt to your new environment. It is also important to take time out to relax and sleep to lower anxiety or stress levels. It can also help to remain in touch with friends and family at home. It can also help to set yourself some goals, and make plans for the future that you can get excited about, like travelling in your new country.
But don’t put too much pressure on yourself at first. Any new environment will be different to what you’re used to, and you can expect yourself to be low and sad at times, but don’t allow yourself to feel it for long! If you maintain confidence in yourself and admit that culture shock is a temporary state, you are on the right track to overcoming any culture shock that may occur.

There are many ways to help speed along the process of adjustment in a new country. A great way to integrate into a new society and meet people is to join clubs or societies and volunteer in community activies. This also allows you to practice a new language! Sporting clubs are also a great way to meet people and get in some exercise, thus boosting your happy hormones. If you focus your energies on getting through the first hump of culture shock, you will get through it, and maybe speed the process on the way.

But you’re not alone in any of this! You can find help for culture shock from a number of resources. There are resources online, and there will be more available at your chosen university or educational institution to help you adjust to your new country and area, and get through the stages of culture shock. Take a look at information given out at orientation and enrolment sessions. Workshops and Seminars are often put on to give you more information. Look for International office staff members to help you out. There will also be health and counseling services available. And finally, student groups and mentors are also there to help you.

So remember that culture shock is just a temporary thing, very commonly experienced by people living in a new culture. Armed with the right information and attitude you can get through it.