The 4 Stages of Culture Shock

I find it funny when people post about their travels to Egypt in the many travel groups I’m a member of. While there are some beautiful places and people to see in Egypt (the Great Pyramids, The Red Sea, Abu Simbel, just to name a few), visiting Egypt for a few days is different from living there.

The reality is, you are coming to visit the country, so even if you try the local foods and party a few times with the locals, you will never experience what it is like to live amongst the locals.

The 4 stages of culture shock: What is Culture Shock?

If you happen to venture on a longer stint in a country, you will experience what is called culture shock.

Culture shock is a sense of confusion and uncertainty sometimes with feelings of anxiety that may affect people exposed to an alien culture or environment without adequate preparation. There are many articles on the internet that breakdown the Stages of Culture Shock.

The stages are described a bit different in each one but the consensus is that there are 4 stages of culture shock; here’s how I categorize them:

Stage 1: The Honeymoon Stage

“I love it here! The people are nice!”

The honeymoon stage happens when your first touchdown in a new city, state, or in our case, a new country and continent! This is the stage where you are excited to see the new people, learn their way of life, visit all monuments and fully immerse yourself in the culture. You are just in awe of the adventures you’re about to embark upon and you are just ready to show all your friends and family how lit it is to be living aboard!

Stage 2: The Frustration/Crisis Stage

“What?!…Why?!…This is Ridiculous!”

The second and most difficult stage is the frustration stage of culture shock. If you have frequently traveled or visited different countries, you know this stage all too well. This stage is characterized by feelings of depression, regret, annoyance, and homesickness. It is in this stage where everything that is not like home gets on your last nerve.

Stage 3: The Adjustment/Recovery Stage

“As long as I’m here, I’ll make the most of it. We’ll use this time to save and travel.”

In this stage, things begin to annoy you less and you accept the fact that it’s just the way of life in your new home. You begin to feel more comfortable with the food, the culture/customs, the people, and the language. You decide to make the most of the circumstances and you try to find ways to cope and thrive there.

Stage 4: The Acceptance Stage

“I’m comfortable here! I feel at home.”

The last stage is the acceptance stage. You finally feel connected to your new home and you deem yourself as being a local. Some things still may not make sense to you, but you have learned to look past the differences and truly make the most of your new friends, environment, and way of life. It is at this stage that you appreciate why you decided to take the leap of faith and move to a place that is so unknown.

Going through the stages surely isn’t linear. There will be times when you think you are good, and then something will happen that puts you in an earlier stage of culture shock. Now that you know the 4 stages of culture shock you can be prepared.

Keep up with Mi’esha on her blog here. And check out the travel tab here for more travel posts.