{"id":4459,"date":"2012-11-07T08:00:31","date_gmt":"2012-11-07T08:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.studyabroad101.com\/?p=4459"},"modified":"2022-09-07T17:27:33","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T21:27:33","slug":"wellness-wednesday-cultural-adjustment-during-study-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.studyabroad101.com\/blog\/2012\/11\/wellness-wednesday-cultural-adjustment-during-study-abroad\/","title":{"rendered":"Wellness Wednesday: Cultural Adjustment During Study Abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Welcome to the third installment of Wellness Wednesdays featuring Abroad101\u2032s expert on expat emotional health,\u00a0Melissa Doman.\u00a0\u00a0Below Melissa shares with us the wonders of cultural adjustment, and warns that “spending time abroad will be a little bit of a roller coaster, so get prepared for one of the best rides of your life!”<\/p>\n

The key theme in your study abroad process is change<\/em>. It\u2019s normal to view change as a bit scary, as it\u2019s\u00a0unknown and unfamiliar – but I challenge you during your time abroad\u00a0to view change as exciting and positive. Change that occurs during cultural adjustment is not only incredibly unique, it\u2019s also very\u00a0character building.<\/p>\n

I often like to dub the beginnings of the honeymoon stage<\/a>\u00a0(that time when you first arrive in your host country),\u00a0as the \u201cshiny new things make me super excited\u201d phase. You are hearing a new language, seeing new sites,\u00a0witnessing intriguing cultural interactions, and eating delicious foreign foods.<\/a> These are all very exciting experiences, but what I want to prepare you for is the potential subsequent rough patches that may occur \u2013\u00a0which are perfectly normal and only temporary!<\/p>\n

Understand that cultural adjustment, while it may be uncomfortable, will not feel that way\u00a0forever. Remember that when you’re rubbed the wrong way by stark cultural differences, are feeling out\u00a0of place, homesick, or frustrated from not understanding the locals \u2013these feelings are temporary. These are\u00a0normal expat growing pains \u2013 and everyone pays their dues! When I lived in South Korea teaching English,\u00a0you better believe it was overwhelming to not understand the language, not be able to read any signs posted, and\u00a0be thousands of miles from home. Rest assured, I stand here today thankful for that experience. You will be too!<\/p>\n

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Two character traits that will be your best friend during cultural adjustment are resiliency and\u00a0adaptation. Not only will they benefit\u00a0you during your cultural integration process, but they will also serve you well when you encounter trying times back in your home country. Here are 5 reasons, echoed by mental and medical health professionals on CNN Living<\/a>, why working on these skills will benefit you when the going gets tough:<\/p>\n

1. Be a survivor! Avoid worse case scenario thinking \u2013 usually these events won\u2019t occur and odds are\u00a0you\u2019ll be just fine.
\n2. View setbacks as temporary. Try to see difficulties as challenges and as opportunities for growth.
\n3. Don\u2019t get frozen by the \u2018what if\u2019s\u2019. It\u2019s easy to get overwhelmed in these situations, but as my fellow\u00a0traveling sister reminds me, \u201cdon\u2019t get paralysis by analysis.\u201d
\n4. Take care of yourself! Self-care is an integral thing during cultural adjustment. Whether it\u2019s exercising,\u00a0journaling, making new friends, or picking up a new hobby \u2013 do something that\u2019ll give you feel-good\u00a0sensations to get you through.
\n5. Don\u2019t embark on the journey alone. By having friends to go through this process with, and people at\u00a0home, they will remind you of the amazing thing you are doing and how much you are growing from it\u00a0(and odds are the people at home are wishing they could go through it with you too).<\/p>\n

Per the usual, I\u2019d like to leave you with inspirational words of an adventurous traveler. As philosopher Martin\u00a0Buber said, \u201cAll journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.\u201d Cheers everyone!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the third installment of Wellness Wednesdays featuring Abroad101\u2032s expert on expat emotional health,\u00a0Melissa Doman.\u00a0\u00a0Below Melissa shares with us the wonders of cultural adjustment, and warns that “spending time abroad will be a little bit of a roller coaster, so get prepared for one of the best rides of your life!”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[356],"tags":[370],"ppma_author":[681],"class_list":["post-4459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wellness-wednesday","tag-culture-shock","author-sarahhanley"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t