5 More Tips to Help You Conquer Culture Shock

Follow up to this article: Dealing With Culture Shock

I have traveled extensively from a young age and have been exposed to a wide variety of cultures and situations. I have lived abroad in four different countries (Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Italy), which should leave me somehow immune to the effects of culture shock. I'm not. Certainly, my past experiences abroad have allowed me to quickly adjust to different cultures, but I still often feel uncomfortable or out of place in every new country I visit.

For example, when I visited Taiwan for the first time, I initially had a tough time adjusting to a completely foreign language and culture that I knew very little about. Ordering food sometimes became a real challenge, and more than once I received a big surprise when my food arrived (think fish head soup). Nonetheless, I was able to adjust well to my new surroundings, and did so by following these five tips. Keep them in mind the next time you travel abroad!

1. Learn the Language

I strongly believe that learning even a few words in the local language can go a long way toward successfully adjusting to new surroundings. The effects will be immediate as you feel more comfortable and less alienated in a foreign environment. Locals will also appreciate you taking the extra effort to speak their language.

What is the best way to learn a language? Personally, I have had great success using the Rosetta Stone software. I used it to quickly learn the basics of Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. However, the main thing is to get out there and practice. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. In fact, it's the only way to learn!

2. The Expat Community

One of the first things I often do when I arrive in a new country is to seek out the local expat community. This involvement can take many forms. For example, while living in Taiwan I joined an expat church community, soccer team, and running group. The people you meet in these communities will undoubtedly have more experience with the local culture than you. A lot can be learned by following their lead and observing how they interact with the locals.

The other advantage, of course, is the opportunity to make friends with like-minded individuals who are keen on traveling and living abroad. Just like you!

3. The Local Community

It's important to involve yourself in the local community. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of only interacting with expats. However, you can interact with your fellow countrymen/women in your own country! Interacting with the locals is likely one of the main reasons you wanted to live abroad in the first place. Make sure to take advantage of this unique opportunity and make some local friends. It can be intimidating at first, but you will quickly find the locals are just as curious about you as you are them. Added bonus: Speaking with locals is definitely the easiest and fastest way to master a new language.

4. Care Packages From Home

Hopefully, you brought a number of items to remind you of home; photos, a favorite portable food, perhaps a childhood toy (what?!). All of these items will help you through the initial stages of homesickness, but receiving a care package from home can be all that's needed to get you through a tough day. Tell mom and dad the package doesn't have to include a lot; a letter, a photo, a favorite candy bar. The extra thought will mean a lot to you.

5. Give it Time

When it comes down to it, successfully handling culture shock comes from an understanding that there will always be good and bad times while living abroad. For most of us that is just how life is in general, but for those living abroad these feelings are often intensified. While in Taiwan I experienced some of the best moments of my life, and some of the worst. Thankfully, there were far more of the former than the latter.

I welcome your comments below! Feel free to share your own experiences living abroad and dealing with culture shock.

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