Why Culture Shock Is Normal (Even for Experienced Travellers)

Travelling abroad for the first time might make you feel confused, disorientated, anxious, frustrated or all at the same time. This can be caused by encountering unfamiliar customs, social norms, languages, and a different way of living life that you may not be used to. This experience is called culture shock, and it is completely normal. It happens to almost everyone, even including experienced travelers. It just means you are adjusting to something new!

Culture can be viewed as an iceberg. There is only a bit of a culture that you can see from the tip of the iceberg like food, music, games, language, fashion and so on. But there is so much more under the surface like the communication styles, concept of time, social roles and so forth.

Culture iceberg showing surface culture and deep culture differences that cause culture shock when working abroad

Much of culture is hidden beneath the surface, which is why culture shock is so common when living and working abroad.

It can take some time to understand the real essence of a culture because so much of it is hidden. You may be uncertain about acceptable behavior, politeness, or the reasons behind people’s actions. This is normal. The aspects of culture that we are unable to immediately see often result in culture shock. These differences will begin to make sense as you spend more time in your new country; things that were initially confusing will gradually become familiar.

Here are some healthy ways to handle culture shock:

1. Know the Stages

Excitement → Everything will seem amazing!
Frustration → You might experience hardship in ways you haven’t before
Adjustment → You will slowly start to get used to a new routine
Comfort → You start to see the place as a new home, meeting new people and making new friends!

Feeling all these different emotions doesn’t mean you have failed in adjusting to a new country, but it just means you are in the middle of growth!

2. Don’t Fight the Feelings

It is completely okay to feel:

Homesick
Overwhelmed
Lonely
Tired

Make sure to remind yourself that it’s okay to feel this way. It’s only culture shock, not a mistake, and you will adjust over time!

3. Build Small Comforts from Home

If you are really worried about not being able to adjust and feeling homesick, bring something with you that will help you adjust.

Favorite music
Comfort food
Shows or podcasts
A weekly routine

Tiny comforts = big emotional relief

4. Connect With People (Even if it feels a little awkward)

You don’t have to create a big friend group but having a few close people can make a big difference!

A coworker
Another traveler
A local
An online community (Like the A-Way to Work Circle App)

Even short chats with someone who might be in the same situation can be a great comfort!

5. Be Curious, Not Judgmental

Try to stay open minded. When something feels strange, try changing your mindset.

Instead of thinking “this is weird” try
“This is different, what can I learn from it?”

Curiosity helps reduce stress and builds understanding.

6. Go Slow, You Don’t Have to Love Everything Right Away

Make sure to give yourself breaks

Take some days off
Stay in or go out to another city for the weekend
Take breaks
Adjust at your own pace

Your growth doesn’t need to be rushed; you can take your time and go at your own pace.

Adjusting to a new culture takes time. Stress and growth often happen together.

Consider these steps as a framework to be aware of; they are not a guarantee and certainly not the same for everyone.

Above all, no transformation is linear. There may be days when you feel like you’re in control and days when you’re down. It’s important to keep a growth mindset. We develop through obstacles, our skills, knowledge, and abilities which are not set in stone. We strive regardless of difficulties when we have a growth mindset!

Your adventure starts here…check out our different destinations at awaytowork.ca