Culture Shock and Expat Mental Health Tips
Moving to a new country and experiencing a new culture is usually equally exciting as it is challenging. Leaving behind friends, family and routines, and starting from scratch in a new place is no easy feat. It can feel like your whole life has been uprooted and you have to figure out how to plant your roots in new soil. Like any tree or plant, though, getting settled in a new environment can take time. Or, you may find that the new place just isn’t for you.
When moving to a new place, many people encounter culture shock, which is a kind of catch all phrase for the experience you have of a new culture, think: the environment, weather, locals, social norms, and associated feelings like confusion, excitement, uncertainty or anxiety.
Culture shock is so common that it has been studied quite extensively, and researchers have even come up with a model that describes the phases of experiencing culture shock:
Honeymoon phase
Like a new relationship, a new culture is experienced positively in this phase. Moving to a new place is exciting. New food, people and experiences provide feelings of adventure, freedom and curiosity.
Negotiation phase
After some time (usually after a few months), the honeymoon phase ends and people are faced with reality. During this time, you may find yourself dealing with (annoying) practical matters like the healthcare system, insurance, long-term housing, admin and taxes, which can all create a lot of frustration and helplessness. If you do not speak the local language you may be faced with a language barrier that may prevent you from making close connections and friends. You may find yourself negatively stereotyping locals and banding together with people from your home country. During this time, people tend to start feeling lonely and homesick and may experience low mood and anxiety.
Adjustment phase
After several months (usually 6-12 months), individuals tend to adjust to the new culture, make connections and develop routines. During this time, individuals regain a more positive attitude. However, some people are unable to adjust to the new culture and withdraw completely from it, perceiving their host culture as cold and hostile. This is a common experience so don’t feel bad if this is you!
Adaptation & integration
Not all expats achieve this phase, which is sometimes also called the bicultural stage in that individuals fully participate in the new culture.
Reverse culture shock
Also called re-entry shock or own-culture shock may occur when returning to one’s home culture after spending a significant amount of time in another culture. This reverse culture shock can even be experienced as more difficult than regular culture shock, due to its unexpectedness. Reverse culture shock may occur because once removed from our primary culture, we often idealize it, remembering the good parts but not the bad, and are therefore negatively surprised by the bad parts upon our return.
Signs you may be experiencing culture shock:
Social anxiety and social withdrawal
Refusal to learn the local language or engage with locals
Feelings of loneliness and isolation
Feeling like you don’t fit in
Negatively stereotyping host nationals
Idolizing your home country
Black and white thinking (all good vs all bad)
Homesickness
Feelings of helplessness and low self-esteem
Changes in mood, sleep and appetite
Substance abuse
Loss of identity or identity confusion
Tips for expats in Prague (or anywhere!)
Be kind to yourself. You are in a new environment, surrounded by a new culture, new people, new, new, new…everything is new and different. Be patient with yourself while you get used to it and find your place in this new culture.
As hard as it may be, build a new social support system, whether that be friendly colleagues at work, neighbors or people you meet through hobbies or even social media. Here in Prague there are many active Facebook groups for Prague expats, where you can meet people who are in the same boat as you. Don’t become discouraged if it takes time to find friends. It can take many months!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help with practical things (like navigating the healthcare system). Online expat groups and professional expat agencies are a great place for this, as they are full of people who have gone through the same obstacles as you and can offer guidance.
Take time to learn about the culture and meet local people. As an expat, it can be tempting to only socialize with other expats, since you may tend to have more in common with them, but this can also create a feeling of isolation and separation from the country and its culture.
Stay connected with people back home. Invite them to come visit you or go back and visit family and friends at home if you’re feeling homesick. Hop on calls, video calls or send letters to old friends. These relationships from your past can help you feel more stable and supported.
Seek out professional help from a counsellor like myself who specializes in working with expats.