Be patient with yourself
Seek out activities that make you feel connected to your home country
Stay in touch with friends you made abroad
Join a group or club related to your time abroad
Be open to change
Avoid comparing everything at home to your experiences abroad
Be prepared for people to ask you about your time abroad
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Keep a journal
Seek out opportunities to travel again
Appreciate the good things about your home country
They say that home is where the heart is. But what if home isn’t what you expected it to be? What if it doesn’t feel like home anymore? What if returning home after studying or living abroad turns out to be harder than you thought it would be? If this is your situation, you might be experiencing reverse culture shock. Don’t worry, you’re definitely not alone. This blog post will discuss what reverse culture shock is, how to identify and deal with it, and offer some helpful tips. So, whether you’re about to embark on a journey overseas or are preparing to come back home, read on for some valuable information!
First thing – expect to feel disoriented and confused upon your return home this is perfectly normal! You’ve just spent an extended period of time in a foreign culture, and it’s going to take some time to readjust to your home country. Don’t try to bottle up your feelings talk to your friends and family about your experiences abroad and how it feel to be back.
It may take weeks, months, or even years to fully readjust to life at home. Give yourself the time and space you need to adjust.
Whether it’s listening to music from home, watching movies set in your home country, enjoying time with family and friends, cooking your favourite traditional dishes or find things that help you feel connected to where you are from.
Just because you’re no longer in the same place doesn’t mean you have to lose touch with the friends you made while you were away. Stay in contact through social media, WhatsApp, email, or any other preferred means of communication available to you.
There are often groups for expats and study abroad students in major cities. Joining one of these groups can help you stay connected to your experiences overseas and meet other people who are going through similar adjustments and have a shared experience of living abroad.
Things will have changed while you were gone, and it’s important to be open to these changes. Whether it’s a new restaurant in your neighbourhood or a family member, embrace the change and move forward.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of constantly comparing your life at home to your life abroad, but this will only make the readjustment process harder. Try to focus on the positive aspects of both experiences and appreciate them for what they are. Don’t judge one against the other or you may suffer from comparisonitis 😊.
People are usually curious about other cultures and want to hear about your stories and experiences, so be prepared to answer questions about your time overseas and share your highlights.
If you’re finding adjustment difficult, don’t hesitate to seek out professional help. There are usually free counselling services available through your university or college that can help you transition back to life at home.
Writing about your experiences and feelings can be a helpful way to process everything you’re going through. You may even find yourself looking back on your journal entries as a reminder of how far you’ve come in your adjustment process.
If you find that you miss the excitement and adventure of travel, seek out opportunities to travel within your home country or region. This can help satisfy your wanderlust while still allowing you to stay close to home.
After living in another country, you may find that you appreciate your home country more than ever before and see things in a completely new way. Embrace the positive aspects of where you live and be grateful for the things you have and for the family and community that loves you.
t’s normal to feel a bit of culture shock when you return home. By following the tips above, you can make the adjustment process a little easier. Just be patient with yourself and take things one day at a time. Soon enough, you’ll feel right at home again.
If you found this article helpful, be sure to check out our other blogs on our website, you can also connect with our Dream Makers at Gradstar to co-design your future if you wish to study abroad. Thanks for reading!
Date Published: Oct-10-2022
