
How to Deal with Culture Shock While Abroad
Discovering new and different cultures while abroad is one of the most exciting parts of travel. However, it can also be overwhelming. Learn all about culture shock and how to cope with it.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Culture shock is a feeling of disorientation or discomfort when you visit a country with norms and traditions different from your own.
- Everyone experiences culture shock in their own way and may experience different stages.
- Culture shock is not a bad thing! It can be beneficial in your personal growth, giving you the opportunity to try new things and learn/understand your host country's norms and traditions.
- Try to manage expectations before going abroad, do your research, and engage with the local community once you're there; this will help you integrate!
Most people who have engaged in long-term travel - such as studying abroad - have heard the term “culture shock”. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or are heading off on your first time abroad, it’s always helpful to understand the best ways to deal with culture shock during your time overseas.
Read on to learn about culture shock and how to cope while studying abroad.
What is culture shock?

Culture shock is a feeling of anxiety or discomfort when entering a new environment or entering a new culture that differs significantly to what you're used to. Many long-term travelers experience culture shock in some form, and it’s important to anticipate and know how to minimize symptoms of culture shock to prevent it from affecting your travel experience.
People experience culture shock in different ways, and you don’t necessarily need to dislike somewhere to experience culture shock.
When experiencing culture shock, you may experience symptoms such as:
- Anger
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Disorientation
- Social isolation
Read more: How to Manage Depression While Abroad
1. Learn about your host country before you go
One of the best ways to prepare for traveling - not only culture shock - is to learn about your host country before you go. This includes researching its history, religion, language, traditions, and more.
Learning about this country’s traditions and cultural etiquette can help you anticipate some of the things you’ll see. If you know more about the language barriers, demographics, taboo topics, or unique laws ahead of time, it will help you manage your expectations and prepare for the differences.
2. Immerse yourself in the community

One way to minimize culture shock is by immersing yourself within the community. While you’ll always be an outsider to an extent, engaging with the people and the culture will greatly enhance your experience and allow you to make meaningful connections.
Here’s how you can immerse yourself in the community:
- Embrace cultural differences: One of the biggest benefits of living and studying abroad is gaining insight into a different culture. You don’t have to agree with every cultural difference, just acknowledge that they exist and respect them!
- Learn the language: Learning just a few phrases can enrich your encounters with locals because they'll warm to you significantly if you work hard to learn their native tongue rather than expecting them to compromise for you. Aside from practical communication, learning the language can lead to forming connections with local people, fun and positive encounters, opportunities to learn more phrases/slang, and more.
- Make local friends: Cultural differences shouldn’t be a barrier to friendship. Befriending local people will not only reduce social isolation, but it can also help you understand the culture more. Your new friends can introduce you to many facets of the culture that you otherwise wouldn’t see by sticking to tourist spots.
- Take a cultural class: Taking a cultural class can help you not only gain new skills but also learn to appreciate the country’s heritage. Did you know that the Vietnamese egg coffee was created during food shortages in the French War? Whether you learn to make egg coffee, practice kung-fu, or dance tango, cultural classes can enlighten you when it comes to history.
- Visit landmarks of cultural importance: Visiting landmarks such as the Berlin Wall, the Killing Fields in Cambodia, or Ground Zero in New York, will greatly improve your understanding of a country’s history and infuse you with a sense of empathy. Learning about the country’s history - whether it’s full of pride or trauma - might make you more sympathetic to their attitudes and social fabric.
3. Practice mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness when you’re living abroad can help you cope with negative emotions, get in better touch with yourself, and gain a sense of calm acceptance. In fact, “acceptance” is commonly referred to as stage 4 of the stages of culture shock.
When you’re abroad, you’ll likely encounter things that are deemed taboo or inappropriate from your home country.
Traveling to Spain? Get ready for communication that seems quite blunt and direct. Heading to South Korea? Expect no one to hold the door open for you. In Vietnam, they’ll constantly question why you’re not married or have kids by age 20. These experiences can trigger knee-jerk reactions that can make you feel angry, sad, or confused.
It’s important to remember that many of the things that may shock you aren’t considered rude in your host country. While we are accustomed to a certain way of life and are told not to say this or do that, no two cultures are the same. There isn’t a “right or wrong” culture, they’re just different.
Practicing mindfulness can help you to view the present moment and its emotions without judgment, cultivating better self-awareness. Better control of your emotions is key to weathering any storm, especially culture shock!
Don’t know where to start? There are many apps out there that are designed to help you achieve mindfulness and reduce stress or anxiety. Apps such as Headspace, Balance, and Calm often offer free trials for users looking to improve their well-being.
4. Reach out to others

Culture shock can feel lonely because people often hide their symptoms from others in an attempt to seem comfortable and well-adjusted in a new place. However, social isolation is a common problem for people experiencing culture shock. Your fellow students may also be suffering in silence, so it’s important to reach out to others and communicate your feelings.
- Check-in with family and friends: Checking in with your friends and family can bring you comfort, and it can also allow you to vent your frustrations. Not only can friends and family offer support, but they can also offer an outside perspective, reiterate how amazing it is that you’re abroad, and rationalize these issues more effectively than in your current state. At the very least, never underestimate the mood boost seeing a friendly face can give!
- Seek program support: Consider reaching out to leaders and staff in your study abroad program for support. Whether it’s your program coordinator or study abroad advisor, be sure to ask them about ways for you to improve your experience. They have a lot of experience counseling students who may be struggling with the transition so you can guarantee they’ll understand what you’re going through and can help without judgment.
- Establish a support network: Your friends who are also studying abroad may also be experiencing similar feelings. Culture shock can manifest in many ways, and not everyone will display the symptoms as you. Be sure to establish a support network amongst your friends on your program and care for each other when you can.
Read more:10 Ways to Cope with Homesickness Abroad
5. Set personal objectives & travel goals
A common way to combat the negative feelings associated with culture shock such as anxiety or depression is by setting objectives and goals. You don’t need to only set academic or professional goals when you’re studying abroad, consider some personal and travel goals to enrich your study abroad experience.
The benefits of goal-setting are not to be underestimated, as they’re even incorporated into mental health treatment due to their potential to give you a sense of direction and hope. Goal-setting while studying abroad can come in the form of visiting certain landmarks, learning a language, trying new food, becoming culturally adaptable and open-minded, and much more.
If you’re staying in a big city, try visiting some small towns and villages on the weekend for a more authentic perspective and the opportunity for genuine interactions in a less hectic environment. Or, try to say a few sentences and introduce yourself in a new language at the first coffee shop you visit. Each goal is valid, no matter how big or small!
6. Reflect daily with gratitude
When we’re in the midst of a wave of culture shock, it can be hard to remember how fortunate we are. Not many people have the luxury to study abroad, so it’s important to practice gratitude for these amazing experiences.
A good way to remind ourselves of the fortunate situation that we’re in is through journaling. Journaling can help us reflect on the thoughts and feelings for that particular day, and also to put our new lifestyle while studying abroad into perspective.
People adopt different methods of journaling. Some write down the things they’re grateful for whereas others will write down what’s bothering them. Others may frame their experience in a more observant mindset rather than a critical one to reflect on it neutrally. While it’s OK not to like everything you see, do, or try, you should try to look at those things with an objective mindset rather than through a lens of resentment.
Instead of writing down all the things you didn't like that day, make a note of what was different and compare it to your home country. Journaling new experiences can help you appreciate the cultural nuance between your host country and home, especially when you reflect on your study abroad journey. It’s also a great way to look back and see how much you’ve grown!
7. Remember, it’s OK to have feelings!

Remember that it’s not only you who suffers from culture shock, and it’s inevitable that people will experience a rollercoaster of emotions when studying abroad. Culture shock is not only normal but incredibly common among even long-term travelers.
Try not to be too hard on yourself for feeling negative about your new experiences. No country is perfect, and each will find a way to irritate you no matter how small the problem! However, while your feelings are valid, it’s important to not let them ruin your experience. It’s better to acknowledge and confront these feelings than it is to ignore them or lean too heavily into the negative.
8. Keep an eye on your mental health
While it’s OK to experience culture shock and the mixed emotions inherent to studying abroad and travel in general, it’s important to recognize when these feelings become a deeper problem. If anxiety, fear, or depression persist for too long, it is important to tune into your mental health and seek help if needed.
Here’s how you can prioritize and take care of your mental health when studying abroad:
- Seek study abroad resources: Study abroad providers generally have resources for mental health care when you’re away from home. If you’re studying with a third-party provider, do not hesitate to reach out for support. If you’re on a university-led program, get in touch with your leader to discuss your concerns. Many universities and institutions abroad can assist international students struggling with mental health issues.
- Establish a self-care routine: Self-care should be holistic: you should remember to take care of yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually. In your self-care routine, you can incorporate exercise, music, yoga, art, meditation, journaling, a bedtime ritual, and even just treating yourself to some trash TV. Take time for yourself every day to unplug from devices and engage in relaxing and uplifting activities.
- Get in touch with a professional: If you are increasingly worried about persistent and poor mental health symptoms, don’t be afraid to seek consultation from a medical professional. Health is wealth, and we should never take it for granted. Your study abroad coordinators will have resources to guide you to English-speaking or even international hospitals to make the most of your consultation. There’s no shame in seeking help!
Take on culture shock with confidence

Living overseas isn't all glamorous weekend getaways and late-night parties. It's a challenge, an introduction to a new culture, and an emotional roller coaster, sometimes all at once. However, these feelings of culture shock are usually temporary, and students often come out the other end with a greater sense of independence, cultural adaptability, and gratitude for their study experience.
Read more about adjusting to your new life abroad: