ContentsView article sectionsSo what is Culture Shock?TIP 1: Sleep TIP 2: Leave the houseTIP 3: LearnTIP 4: SocializeTIP 5: If you need help, contact a professionalCulture Shock isn’t just an English punk band. It’s also a very real thing we all deal with while living abroad. It’s part of the territory and it’s something everyone needs to be very aware of in order to live their best life. It starts out small and builds over time, sometimes ripping through our lives with very painful consequences and other times hiding in the shadows waiting to knock us off course when we least expect it. It can even cause intense depression, destruction of relationships, uuncharacteristic bigotry and racism, emotional trauma, and more. It makes you blame others for things that aren’t their fault or within their control. Quite frankly, it can be devastating to those you care about the most. It’s teriibly important to practice healthy habits while going through it.  During your first months in South Korea just assume you are in culture shock. Tackle the beast head on and practice the following healthy habits even if you are simply loving Korea. Culture shock can blindside you at any moment. Be healthy and be ready. So what is Culture Shock? Now that we’ve scared you a little, let’s step back and explain what culture shock is. As the name implies, it’s when a person goes into a state of emotional shock when trying to deal with all the new information and rules associated with a new culture. In an article published on Medium, Global Perspectives explains there are four stages of cultures shock: Honeymoon, Frustration, Adjustment, and Acceptance.  The Life in South Sudan blog shared an excellent graphic to show how it usually goes. The timeline will be different for everyone, this is based on averages. Can you find where you are on the graph? As you can see there is a near constant downward spiral at a point, however, it does get better and there are ways to make it better faster. Keep in mind, the four states don’t always happen in order as the graph makes it look. Sometimes we bounce back and forth between them if we are here for a long time. However, the graph gives you a solid look at the roller coaster. Now you see how you are going to be dipping, but what is that dip going to really look and sound like? First of all, here is what you will be experiencing: Anger over little issues that normally wouldn’t matter Anxiety at the thought of leaving the house Exhausted every day Rage when things aren’t like you expected Frustration when doing simple tasks Inability to sleep or excessive sleep (yes, both happen) Depression Sickness Stereotyping and pretty scary thoughts about being better than other people Helplessness and hopelessness  We aren’t going to make too many examples – because what is said is often hurtful – but here are somethings you might find yourself saying: “They should have an English menu.” “Koreans are ALL the same.” “I don’t want to have to figure it out. I just want it to be easy.” “Why do they have to do ______ like that. That’s now how we do it in _____.” “Those people never get it right.” “That’s not how that is supposed to taste. It doesn’t taste like it does back home.” “This place sucks, I can’t even get ______.” “They are just trying to tip me off.” (as a response to a misunderstanding) Well, you get the pictures. It can be painful to see it written down, but also helpful because you can start to clearly see the unhealthy expectations and demands being placed on the host culture. Honestly, nobody who grew up in Korea knows exactly how to keep foreigners happy. They are just doing their best.  Holy smokes, that wasn’t fun to talk about but now we are through it. Of course, you and I aren’t doing these things, right? We are doing great in Korea and we are progressive, educated people. We are immune right? Wrong, no one is immune. That’s because this isn’t about what’s in your heart. It’s about the stress your brain is under trying to adjust to a society that has completely different rules. Things you thought were intrinsic turn out to be variable. Things you thought were wrong, well, they turn out to be right. Things you see as standard don’t even exist. In short, your brain is as exhausted AF and it starts to really hate life. This is where most culture shock articles and blogs are going to leave you. Sitting at home with the knowledge that what you are going through is normal and sucks. However, at South of Seoul we don’t believe in telling you a problem exists without offering up solutions. There are concrete things you can do to get your life back on track. If you do these things it will get better much faster and you will fall-off-the-horse less along the way. Here are our first 5 Healthy Culture Shock Tips: TIP 1: Sleep  First of all, let’s talk about the exhaustion you are going to feel when you arrive that will continue for months. International Relations EDU lists it as the first major symptom of culture shock. This exhaustion can make you feel terrible about yourself when it shouldn’t.  It’s normal and acceptable to want to sleep all the time. Let all that guilt go. Do you need a nap after 30 minutes outside? That’s ok. You aren’t broken. Your body is telling you what you need. Give yourself grace and get some rest. Don’t force yourself to keep going. Your brain needs rest because it is working double time to stay on top of life. Go to bed early. Take naps. It’s not just us saying this, it’s science. Learning a lot means the need to sleep a lot. A trick we use is always having a napping spot in mind when we go out … Continue reading 5 Tips for Conquering Culture Shock