When you move to a new country you may experience “Culture Shock”. This is a term used to describe a mixture of emotions – sometimes feeling really happy and at other times you feel lonely or sad. It is totally normal for you to experience these different emotions during your stay in New Zealand.
An understanding about this fact is important to help you better deal with these emotions and will help minimise the risk of disappointments and you deciding on an early return back home.
Experts agree that culture shock has different stages and all agree that once people get beyond the initial and most difficult stages, life in a new country becomes a lot better. For more information on culture shock click here.
The emtional stages after arriving in a new country are typically:
- Excitement: You feel like you are on holiday and the place is intriguing because it is new.
- Withdrawal: Some time has passed and you begin to feel frustrated as things are different and perhaps somewhat strange. You may even start to feel anxious.
- Adjustment: You are now into your routine and you feel more relaxed and settled and relate better to the new culture.
- Enthusiasm: You feel more positive and start to adopt some of the new culture that appeals to you. You feel good about your decision and the new country which is starting to feel like “home”.
The Useful Links will give you some useful advice to help with some of the experiences you will have.