The remedies for culture shock.

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(Created on 28/04/2010 0:00 - Edited on 05/05/2010 9:55)

Naturally, there are remedies for this phenomenon. How can you make it easier for yourself and your family?

1. Learn the language!

If you can communicate with the people around you, a foreign country becomes much less "foreign". Make sure you have a basic knowledge of the language of the host country before you leave.

2. Know your host country

Looking up some of its customs in advance can help cushion the shock. Browse through tourist guides and Google away! Do not condemn the traditions of the host country. Just because something is different, does not mean that it is not as good as what you are accustomed to.

3. Make contacts

You are certainly not the first person to go and live in that country for an extended period of time. Look online for some people who have gone through the same experiences, and whom you can also perhaps meet in real life?

4. Accept your feelings

Do not think that you will be the only one who will not suffer from culture shock. Accepting the fact that it can be difficult for you, already makes it a lot easier for yourself.

5. Maintain contact with the home front

Thanks to Skype, Twitter and Facebook, keeping in touch with the home front has become much easier and faster. During more difficult periods, your friends and family can cheer you up.

6. Retain your identity

Even if you have been living in a foreign country for years, you always take your roots with you. Do not try to suppress this, but rather cherish it. It is a part of your richness as an individual.