How to Face and Adjust to Culture Shock

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How to Face and Adjust to Culture Shock Studying abroad frequently occurs today because it is very convenient to visit other countries by airplane. Furthermore, the concept of global country is very common in the world, so, every day, there are a lot of people traveling or visiting another place or country for business, amusement, or studying. If you are just staying for a short time, it may not bother your life too much, but, if you are not, you will have to figure out how to stay there and be comfortable and confident because you are confronting culture shock. What is culture shock? According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, “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” (P1). Culture shock could be revealed in different language, food, customs and weather. However, how to adjust it easily and quickly is very important to your life abroad. “Culture shock…is simply a common way to describe the confusing and nervous feeling a person may have after leaving a familiar culture to live in a new and different culture” (Kingsley P1). “It’s the loss of emotional equilibrium that a person suffers when he moves from a familiar environment where he has learned to function easily and successfully to one where he has not. The term used to describe this malady is ‘culture shock’” (Gordon P1). Dr. Guanipa described, “Culture shock as the physical and emotional discomfort one suffers when coming to live in another country or a place different from the place of origin. Often, the way that you lived before is not accepted as or considered as normal in the new place” (Guanipa P2). He also indicated some symptoms that can appear like: sadness, preoccupation with health, insomnia, changes in temperament, unwillingness to interact
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