How to Survive and Enjoy Being an Expatriate
Know what to expect., Remember that homesickness is normal., Allow the local people to get to know you at their pace., "When in Rome, do as the Romans do.", Anticipate culture shock, and have effective strategies to deal with it when it arises., Be...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know what to expect.
Make sure you research your new country thoroughly.
You will want to know all of their customs beforehand, so you don't accidentally make a cultural gaffe while you're there.
Become very familiar with their food, art, lifestyle, national pastimes, and maybe even a bit of history if you're interested.
And if the language spoken there is one other than your native one, for goodness' sake make sure you are able to speak it, at least passably.
Not being able to communicate properly in your new country will result in disaster! All in all, knowing what to expect before you move to another country will greatly help lessen culture shock.
Trying out recipes from the country you're moving to might be fun, and it will give you a sense of what you will be eating when you are there. -
Step 2: Remember that homesickness is normal.
Feeling disoriented is normal.
Not knowing what to do is normal.
Give yourself time to adjust to your new surroundings; don't jump in with both feet immediately.
However, once you're settled in, it is a good idea to find something to occupy your time, such as a hobby.
This will take your mind off your homesick feelings in a productive way, whereas moping around at home will give you more time to feel sorry for yourself.
Some good ideas for this are:
Do yoga.
This is very relaxing and has many health benefits.
Volunteering will make you feel good about yourself and keep you busy.
It has the additional perk of enabling you to meet new people! Play a musical instrument; sing; make up a song.
Music is good for the soul.
Write a poem, story, article, or whatever you feel like.
Keeping a journal is also a great idea. , Other cultures make friends differently from ours.
Try to respect them while still being yourself. , Observe the locals and do what they do.
For example ... you go to the post office and discover that there isn't a line.
Everyone is just sort of jostling for position.
You might feel uncomfortable at time and rather uneasy, but if you want to buy stamps and mail your packages, you'll just have to take a deep breath and join the crowd.
This isn't always an easy thing to do.
But either you adjust a bit to the new culture, or you simply won't be able to function as well as you would like. , When you are fresh off of the airplane, you will be very excited and enthusiastic about the adventure you are about to have in a foreign land.
Everything about your new country will seem exotic, new, and wonderful; this is known by some as the "rose-coloured glasses" phase, similar to the phase that newlyweds experience.
However, as you adjust to your new country and live there for a while, this initial happiness wears off and some negative feelings start to creep in.
You might decide that you're sick and tired of this country and you want to go home, only you can't go home.
This is called culture shock; it is completely normal, and there are many others who have gone through it before.
Some people try to cope with culture shock by re-creating their home country.
They try to only associate with people from their country.
They only cook foods from their culture and eat at restaurants that serve this familiar food.
They want their children only to play with other children from their country.
This strategy is destined to fail.
Repeat this mantra to yourself ... "I cannot recreate my home country and I will only make myself and others unhappy if I try".
There isn't a lot you can do about the feelings you have, and you certainly can't totally control your environment.
What you can do is control your actions:
Try hard not to complain.
Complaining only reinforces your negative feelings.
Find ways to vent your feelings ... for example: mow your yard, mow your neighbor's yard, work out, pray, volunteer your time, etc.
Find things about your new country that you like.
This may seem obvious, but just remember, your new country is not your home country.
Their customs are not based on the tradition you are used to.
Even though their customs may sometimes seem difficult or silly to you, this is how things have been done for a long time there, and they aren't going to change for you.
Find things about your new country that you like.
This is especially effective if these things cannot be found in your home country.
If you admire a unique aspect of your country's food, culture, or lifestyle, make sure you get out there and enjoy it, and remember that the experience wouldn't be possible if you were back at home.
For example, if you are living in Japan, you might find that the sushi you can find there is better than anything you could ever pick up where you used to live.
Even little things like that can help you adjust to culture shock. , Love yourself.
This experience of living abroad can be a rich and rewarding time, if you let it. -
Step 3: Allow the local people to get to know you at their pace.
-
Step 4: "When in Rome
-
Step 5: do as the Romans do."
-
Step 6: Anticipate culture shock
-
Step 7: and have effective strategies to deal with it when it arises.
-
Step 8: Be patient with yourself and others.
Detailed Guide
Make sure you research your new country thoroughly.
You will want to know all of their customs beforehand, so you don't accidentally make a cultural gaffe while you're there.
Become very familiar with their food, art, lifestyle, national pastimes, and maybe even a bit of history if you're interested.
And if the language spoken there is one other than your native one, for goodness' sake make sure you are able to speak it, at least passably.
Not being able to communicate properly in your new country will result in disaster! All in all, knowing what to expect before you move to another country will greatly help lessen culture shock.
Trying out recipes from the country you're moving to might be fun, and it will give you a sense of what you will be eating when you are there.
Feeling disoriented is normal.
Not knowing what to do is normal.
Give yourself time to adjust to your new surroundings; don't jump in with both feet immediately.
However, once you're settled in, it is a good idea to find something to occupy your time, such as a hobby.
This will take your mind off your homesick feelings in a productive way, whereas moping around at home will give you more time to feel sorry for yourself.
Some good ideas for this are:
Do yoga.
This is very relaxing and has many health benefits.
Volunteering will make you feel good about yourself and keep you busy.
It has the additional perk of enabling you to meet new people! Play a musical instrument; sing; make up a song.
Music is good for the soul.
Write a poem, story, article, or whatever you feel like.
Keeping a journal is also a great idea. , Other cultures make friends differently from ours.
Try to respect them while still being yourself. , Observe the locals and do what they do.
For example ... you go to the post office and discover that there isn't a line.
Everyone is just sort of jostling for position.
You might feel uncomfortable at time and rather uneasy, but if you want to buy stamps and mail your packages, you'll just have to take a deep breath and join the crowd.
This isn't always an easy thing to do.
But either you adjust a bit to the new culture, or you simply won't be able to function as well as you would like. , When you are fresh off of the airplane, you will be very excited and enthusiastic about the adventure you are about to have in a foreign land.
Everything about your new country will seem exotic, new, and wonderful; this is known by some as the "rose-coloured glasses" phase, similar to the phase that newlyweds experience.
However, as you adjust to your new country and live there for a while, this initial happiness wears off and some negative feelings start to creep in.
You might decide that you're sick and tired of this country and you want to go home, only you can't go home.
This is called culture shock; it is completely normal, and there are many others who have gone through it before.
Some people try to cope with culture shock by re-creating their home country.
They try to only associate with people from their country.
They only cook foods from their culture and eat at restaurants that serve this familiar food.
They want their children only to play with other children from their country.
This strategy is destined to fail.
Repeat this mantra to yourself ... "I cannot recreate my home country and I will only make myself and others unhappy if I try".
There isn't a lot you can do about the feelings you have, and you certainly can't totally control your environment.
What you can do is control your actions:
Try hard not to complain.
Complaining only reinforces your negative feelings.
Find ways to vent your feelings ... for example: mow your yard, mow your neighbor's yard, work out, pray, volunteer your time, etc.
Find things about your new country that you like.
This may seem obvious, but just remember, your new country is not your home country.
Their customs are not based on the tradition you are used to.
Even though their customs may sometimes seem difficult or silly to you, this is how things have been done for a long time there, and they aren't going to change for you.
Find things about your new country that you like.
This is especially effective if these things cannot be found in your home country.
If you admire a unique aspect of your country's food, culture, or lifestyle, make sure you get out there and enjoy it, and remember that the experience wouldn't be possible if you were back at home.
For example, if you are living in Japan, you might find that the sushi you can find there is better than anything you could ever pick up where you used to live.
Even little things like that can help you adjust to culture shock. , Love yourself.
This experience of living abroad can be a rich and rewarding time, if you let it.
About the Author
Catherine Wood
A seasoned expert in education and learning, Catherine Wood combines 2 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Catherine's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
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