Analysis exhibits that tradition shock has 4 distinct levels – honeymoon, negotiation, adjustment, and adaptation.
Honeymoon Stage
The honeymoon stage of tradition shock is the primary stage and is normally essentially the most euphoric time the place you’ll be thrilled to be in a brand new setting and fascinated by all of the thrilling and completely different points of a special nation and its tradition.
Every little thing from the sights sounds and smells to the native individuals, their cultural habits, and the lifestyle is thrilling. Sadly, nonetheless, the honeymoon interval should at all times come to an finish.
Negotiation Stage
Because the preliminary pleasure of being in a brand new place wears off, emotions of disorientation and irritation start to set in. You’ll discover start to really feel overwrought from misunderstanding others’ actions or language, cultural variations, or methods of doing issues that you simply instinctively perceive at dwelling.
These emotions could make you start to really feel disconnected and lonely and unable to manage, and you start to overlook your outdated lifestyle. It’s throughout this stage that bodily signs could start to seem, and you would expertise minor well being illnesses from stress.
Adjustment Stage
At round six months life progressively begins to get higher and routine units in. You’ll begin to turn into extra conversant in every little thing from native customs and tradition to the language and meals. You’ll start to achieve a greater understanding of the native lifestyle overseas. You’ll have made some associates, maybe discovered a little bit of the language, and gained your bearings round city.
Adaptation
The variation stage is also referred to as the bicultural stage as you now really feel snug in your host nation and can really feel like you’ve gotten the power to deal with issues. You’ll have a robust sense of belonging, and can lastly start to really feel snug in your new dwelling overseas.