Thread by @trylavida

The 5 Stages of Culture Shock:

If you want to live in another country, you need to read this

//Thread//

I've lived in 3 countries: UK, New Zealand and China

Understanding this concept really helped me during difficult times in New Zealand and China

When you live in another country, you experience a different way of life

The more different the culture, the more difficult it can be to adapt

Realizing that culture shock is a normal thing will help you push through, especially for stage 2

It's important to note that although there are 5 stages

You can and will jump around the stages depending on your mentality and the situation you are in

Let's dive in

1. The Honeymoon Stage:

This is when you first arrive in a new culture. If you've travelled to a foreign country for a few weeks, you've also experienced this

Everything is awesome and exciting

All the strange and potentially annoying things just seem interesting

2. The Rejection Stage:

This is when you realise that everything isn't awesome.

You take notice of the bad things in the new culture

You might not like the food or a local custom

You miss your old culture and refuse to immerse yourself in the new one

‼️ Don't go back ‼️

I've seen many people go back to their old culture when they are stuck in this stage

But when you get passed this stage, you feel a lot better

Trust me, it's worth pushing through

3. The Adaption Stage

This is when you start to make a life for yourself in the new culture

You have a daily routine. You might be able to speak some of the local language

You've made some friends and you are used to the food and some of the customs

🀄 During my 7 years in China I learned Chinese, and then learned Spanish online for when I travel South America

I encourage you to learn the local language if you are living in a new culture. It's the best way to make new friends

This guide will help

https://twitter.com/trylavida/status/1423624650123366403

4. The Assimilation Stage

This is when you've lived in the new culture for a long time

You become one of them

You act like them, speak like them.

This is your home now. As the saying goes 'home is where the heart is'

5. Reverse Culture Shock

This is when you go back to your old culture

What seemed normal before now seems weird

You feel like an outsider and you go through the other 4 stages, depending on the length of your stay

Summary of the 5 Culture Shock Stages:
- The Honeymoon Stage
- The Rejection Stage
- The Adaptation Stage
- The Assimilation Stage
- Reverse Culture Shock

Remember, you might not experience these in a linear fashion

You'll jump between them depending on your situation

If you would like to see threads about my culture shock experiences in New Zealand and China comment below

Help others transition better in their new culture

by retweeting the first tweet

https://twitter.com/trylavida/status/1430884127625129988