5 Ways To Overcome Culture Shock
Hey Au Pairs!
The first few weeks of au pairing can be full of ups and downs, which is all a part of the culture shock experience. Culture shock can be defined as the feelings of confusion, uncertainty, and anxiety that come from visiting or living in a society that is different from your own. I’ve lived abroad numerous times and have gained some tips to overcoming culture shock that I’ll share with you all!
Here are 5 ways to overcome culture shock:
1. Focus On The Positives
Remind yourself that you are abroad living your best life! Take advantage of your experience and explore your new home to the fullest! It can be easy to focus on the negatives and compare your new host country to your native country and reflect on everything you miss from back home, but how about instead you keep a journal of all the wonderful things you’re grateful for from this new happening? You can even make a list of all the places you want to visit and explore during your au pair year. This way you’ll always have something to look forward to.
2. Keep In Touch
Whenever you are feeling a little down you can always catch up with friends and family from back home to see what everyone is up to! More often than not you’ll find that nothing has changed and you aren’t missing out on anything which should alleviate some of the stress that comes from thinking you’re missing out on experiences from back home! You can even snail-mail them a postcard as a trinket of your affection and to share your experience with them.
3. Don’t Compare Yourself To Others
It’s easy to compare our life experiences to others around others, especially when we are all in the same boat, but remember everything is not as it seems. On the surface it may seem that some of your new au pair friends are all giddy and absolutely full of excitement for this new chapter in life, but they might be feeling just as insecure and anxious as you feel. It’s almost vital to remember that everyone adjusts to new experiences at a different pace and just because it’s taking you longer to become accustomed to your new life isn’t a bad thing!
4. Keep Busy
One of the best things you can do to overcome any feelings of anxiety or homesickness you might be experiencing is to keep busy! Consider volunteering in the local community, take up a side job or work on your hobbies. One of the beauties of au pairing is that you have SO much free time that you can dedicate towards pursuing anything and everything you are passionate about.
5. Vent
Sometimes all we need and want is a good old fashioned venting session! Your feelings are valid and yes, it’s quite an overwhelming experience moving to a different country where just about every since thing differs from your life back home. You essentially have to start from scratch in order to create your new world abroad! It’s a big deal! Take comfort in knowing that you are not alone! Meet up with some of your new au pair friends for a drink and have a venting session! You’ll probably realize they feel the exact same way as you do!
What are some other ways to cope with culture shock? Let me know in the comments below!