Getting Over Reverse Culture Shock

Experienced by students, expats and backpackers alike, the reverse culture shock phenomenoncan have several negative effects on a person’s re-entry to their home country. Recognisingwhat it is and learning how to overcome the emotions associated with reverse culture shock canmake the transition home that much easier. As the author Robert Black said; “When you traveloverseas, the locals see you as a foreigner, and when you return, you see the locals asforeigners.” This quote is an accurate description of what reverse-culture shock feels like andunderstanding that it is normal to experience these feelings is an important step to overcomingthem.Familiarity is the reason behind culture shock. At home, everything feels commonplace; the foodwe eat, the streets we drive along, the routines and attitude of society. Moving abroad can throwa spanner into this feeling of security and familiarity, thus the term ‘culture shock’. Beforeheading abroad to work or study, UCC students are warned about the typical culture shocktimeline and how it presents itself. After an initial ‘honeymoon period’ upon arrival, during whicheverything seems new and exciting, (and many people feel like tourists), it is normal to fall intothe pit of culture shock. This happens as differences appear, either positive or negative.Gradually, as the traveller settles into this new culture and accepts the differences, they begin tofeel stable and comfortable in their new country.We are warned about these feelings presenting themselves upon our return home, but manywon’t consider this until they are back at home, feeling lost and frustrated. Reverse cultureshock can leave us bored, disconnected from family and friends and annoyed with our dailylives. After being away for an extended period of time, (such as a year abroad), things will havechanged. It is important to consider that you have changed, home has changed and above all,you have adapted to another culture which is different to what you will return to. The initialexcitement at being home with your friends and family may wear off, leaving you yearning foryour life abroad.I personally struggled with this when I first came home from Erasmus. The first two weeks wereexcellent; I had my double bed, my pets, my mom cooking dinner every night. I’d just started aninternship, but after a while I became bored and lost my sense of purpose. Gone was thespontaneity of my life abroad; the ability to get up and walk ten minutes to the nearest nightclubor hop on a train Friday evening to arrive in another country Friday night. Even though I had feltready to come home, the re-entry did not go as smoothly as I had expected. After a while Iturned to other friends who had been away, asking them if they felt the same way. Most did,expressing that things felt very different and they couldn’t wrap their heads around it.With the arrival of September and the start of semester one, many students are making theirway home from J1s or working somewhere in Europe. To help make the transition easier, I havecompiled a short list of tips to try and keep the feelings of reverse culture shock in check.Disclaimer: This advice is coming from my own experience and that of other students, I am nota medical professional. If you are struggling and need to talk to someone, UCC offers a freecounselling service in the Student Health Centre. To make an appointment you can drop intotheir building on College Road or contact them on +353 (0)21 4902311.1. Focus on what you missed while you were abroad.Instead of reflecting on all the positive aspects of life abroad that you miss, turn your mindtowards being home. Enjoy the experiences that you longed for while you were abroad;whatever it was that might have made you homesick. From your mom’sA cooking to meetingfriends in your favourite bar, dive into appreciating the little things. Eat in your favouriterestaurants, go for walks around your area and reconnect with family and friends.2. Keep yourself busy.Having too much free time and nothing to focus on can have a negative effect on your mood,and it allows you plenty of moments to dwell on missing your old life rather than settling back tolife in Ireland. I was lucky enough to start an internship the week I returned home, so I didn’thave a lot of time to throw a pity party.Take up a new hobby, start a DIY project, head off on road trips; try to keep yourself busy.Coming home to an empty calendar and sparse social life can exacerbate the negative feelingsassociated with reverse culture shock, as it is often a huge contrast to the hectic life you’ve leftbehind.3. Stay true to yourself.Living abroad can have a significant impact on us, from our personality, tastes and attitudes toour sense of style. Upon returning home, you might find that things haven’t changed at all sinceyou left and you can feel a little lost.Moving back to where you grew up, surrounded by friends and family might leave ‘the new you’feeling like you don’t fit in. It can put pressure on you to change, or to give up the internationalthinking to feel a part of the ‘old group’. Try to maintain this ‘new you’ when you move back andallow your personality to continue evolving.This being said, don’t be that person who comes back and starts comparing your hometown towhere you have been. Your friends and family won’t appreciate you making constant, negativecomparisons.4. Share the experience.It’s more than likely that, after a while, your family will get a little fed up hearing stories aboutyour life abroad. Reach out to others who have shared the experience of studying or workingoverseas. Staying in contact with friends you made during your time away can help, as you canreminisce and share stories together. Keep each other updated on your lives at home and don’tbe afraid to explain what you’re missing and how you’re feeling.5. Look forwardLastly, there is no point in wallowing in the past, because time travel hasn’t been invented yet.Instead of staying stuck in the past and spending time missing your ‘old life’, turn your focus towhat you’re going to do next. Start planning trips, investigate job opportunities, get yourselfready for the next semester of university, (if you have one.) I was only home about two weekswhen I started buying flights. I definitely caught the travel bug while on Erasmus, and now all ofmy money is being set aside for new trips.In short, don’t let reverse culture shock hold you back. It is perfectly okay to look back on yourtime abroad and miss it but be sure you’re not allowing the past to overshadow your future.Don’t forget, you can always move away again in the years to come if you want to.