Most people who travel to another country to work or study for a significant period of time go through an adjustment period to the new culture. The amount of disorientation (迷惘) one feels in the new situation depends on one's own background and experiences.
Culture shock is the sudden loss of the familiar, which leads to a sense of isolation (孤单) and less self-importance. Later, you may feel that the differences between your home country and those countries you are visiting are huge and frustrating.
The effects of culture shock range from mild uneasiness to acute unhappiness. To reduce such effects, you may follow these tips.
Be prepared. Be aware that it exists and that it will probably affect you in one way or another.
Know yourself. Your responses to situations and people in the new culture will make more sense if you have a clear idea of what is important to you personally.
Be calm and accepting. Understand that this is a learning process and that you will benefit from it.
Be positive. Sometimes with a change of perspective, frustrating circumstances can be humorous and interesting.
Set goals and stay busy. Don't sit around being sad and critical. Be adventurous, make plans and try new things.
Avoid isolation. Don't keep yourself separate from people of the same cultural background. Don't complain about your experience. They can offer you good advice and comfort.
Hold on to your own personal sense of humor, which will help you deal with possibly frustrating and confusing situations. Often the first sign of recovery from culture shock is the reappearance of one's sense of humor.
A. Keep a sense of humor.
B. Try not to be overly critical.
C. Try to find people who have gone through this experience.
D. Clarify your own values and examine your own assumptions.
E. Sometimes changing to a new culture has an immediate effect.
F. Expect to suffer from culture shock when you return to your home culture.
G. When you first arrive in a new culture, you feel a sense of excitement and expectation.
