You are feeling a little confused, maybe nervous in your new environment interning abroad & then a panic attack hits you! If you are experiencing this on your first solo trip abroad, you are probably suffering from culture shock. Everyone has a different way of dealing with new or foreign surroundings, which they are not accustomed to, but don’t worry because I am going to take you through easy steps to prepare for culture shock before leaving your home country, how to notice the symptoms while you are abroad, then how to deal with it so that you don’t spoil your adventure.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR A SOLO TRIP ABROAD AND AVOID CULTURE SHOCK
You can prepare for a solo trip abroad by making sure you have researched the local customs, language, currency and traditions. Learning a few popular phrases used in the country can be very helpful because it will allow you to communicate with the locals and not feel out of place. Make sure you know how the people of the particular place dress. Dressing appropriately will make one fit in confidently. You should also be able to create your own fun and memories without your friends from home or school. Once you learn to be alone without being lonely, it becomes very easy to go for a solo trip abroad and avoid culture shock. If you are coming to Zimbabwe through Tiritose Sustainable Travel, we send you a pre-departure information pack to help you prepare and our in-country orientation workshops help you with the transition as well.
HOW TO COPE WITH CULTURE WHILE ON A SOLO TRIP ABROAD
You can cope with cultural shock while on a solo trip abroad by making use of shared accommodation. Sharing a dorm or a room with the locals will help you interact more and find common ground with people who can help you find your feet in the new environment. You should have a flexible and adaptable mindset, which is a great tool when settling into your new life. Being adaptable will help you embrace the local culture, food, language, traditions and customs. Finding the good things about the new environment and avoiding comparing it with what you have in your home country will also help with living in the moment, which eases the impact of total shock to your system.
DEALING WITH STUDY ABROAD DEPRESSION
It’s not everyone who goes abroad who suffers from depression, however, it does happen and my hope is that by sharing these thoughts, I will help a few people who may find themselves in this situation. When dealing with study abroad depression, the first thing is to try and remain positive, concentrating on all the best things of where you are at that moment. One way of living in the moment is to keep yourself occupied with different activities that you find enjoyable. By taking part in activities you love you will be able to meet new friends. Join group activities with other students or organised groups like InterNations – a group for expats that provides a good support structure for people travelling abroad.
Another remedy is to keep in constant touch with people back home, friends and family and be real with them by talking about your feelings and the emotions as they are happening to you. It’s true that the first step to recovery is acceptance and so once you notice the changes in mood, you have to speak out. Once you accept your new reality, the next step is to figure out replacements for the things you love from back home – it could be that coffee shop you go to every morning, or the lunch spot you frequent. Find the seemingly familiar within your new environment and it will help ease the emotions of missing home.
MAKING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR EXPERIENCES DEPSITE CULTURE SHOCK
Interns and volunteers can make the most of the culture shock by absorbing themselves within the new environment. By doing this, you effectively learn exciting new ways of doing things such as how to make new dishes and new language phrases. It’s important that you don’t let culture shock affect your reasons for travelling abroad in the first place. Remain resolute, confident and strong! Fun is usually all around you in the daily tasks you are performing at your placement site and the wonderful and often diverse people you interact with on the daily! Take interest in their stories and better yet, keep a travel journal so that you can document each day and reflect on your experiences. Culture shock is real, there is no denying that, however, there is a lot more behind such overwhelming emotions that lead to a whole lot of fun – persistence is the name of the game.
WHAT CAN STUDY ABROAD PROVIDERS DO TO HELP STUDENTS EXPERIENCING CULTURE SHOCK?
Study abroad providers have the support structure in place that is meant to help you as you deal with the effects of culture shock. From the administration to the volunteer and intern supervisors, everyone is trained to facilitate a seamless transition to your new reality. Everyone is trained on the various stages of culture shock! You should look at your Placement Advisor and supervisor as your new travel buddy and so you should never feel alone and they will also be on the lookout for any signs of depression because early detection goes a long way in handling it quickly. At Tiritose Sustainable Travel in addition to having General Practitioners on our partner list, we have a psychologist as well as two psychiatrists that we work with and will attend to any case that requires clinical treatment. We have you covered!
HERE ARE A FEW REASONS WHY CULTURE SHOCK IS GOOD FOR YOU!
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