Cultural adaptation

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This is meant as a guide to help you as you move to a new place and gives some tips on how to get settled in a new country. As a general rule, you will do well with "observe and listen to locals, and do as they do" and by respecting the local culture and keeping an open mind towards it.

Culture shock

Culture shock is a normal and expected phenomenon that almost everyone goes through when moving to a new country, or even a different part of the same country. It has three recognized phases:

Honeymoon period

During this initial period immigrants often feel excited to embark on their new journey. You are open to trying new things and exploring your new country.

Rejection

You may miss your usual ways of dealing with school, work, relationships, and everyday life.
You may find yourself studying or working for hours, longer than your classmates or colleagues because of language differences. If you are trying to speak and listen to a new language every day and trying to understand how things are done, it may feel like an overwhelming effort.
You may feel homesick and idealize your life back home, while being highly critical of life in your new community. Feeling frustrated, angry, anxious, or even depressed is not uncommon.
You may experience minor health problems and/or disruptions in sleeping and eating patterns.
Your motivation may diminish, and you may feel like withdrawing from your new friends. This is a natural reaction to living in a new culture.
You may contemplate leaving, even going back to the US.
You may be angry at not finding what you had expected.
Helping your spouse and children adjust to life in their new culture may pose an additional challenge.

During this period, it's important to recognize that these are normal and natural feelings that everyone goes through. It's not appropriate to take out those feelings by complaining about the country or language to people who live there or speak the language. If you need to vent, best to do so with other immigrants, but be aware that you probably won't always feel this way, and leave yourself some room to grow.

Recovery

It is important to understand that as time passes you will be better able to enjoy your new surroundings.

Your feelings and attitudes about living in a new country may improve, but you may never get to the high level experienced during the first phase.

You may become more relaxed, regain your self-confidence, and enjoy life in your new country. Major obstacles that occurred in the earlier phases, such as misunderstandings and mistakes, will be easily understood and resolved.

Ways to lessen the culture shock

"Plunge" into your host culture and wrestle with the differences.
Keep an open mind; it is natural to have preconceived ideas and beliefs that come into question while abroad.
Do not isolate yourself.
Find a someone with whom you can discuss your frustrations and encounters. Ideally another immigrant who has been through this experience and is on the other side
Learn as much as you can about your host culture.
Maintain a support structure with others, particularly those going through the same experience. However, do not retreat into a clique to avoid the discomfort of culture shock.
Keep a journal. Record your impressions of new experiences and the transformations that are occurring within you.

Learning a new language

If you're going to a country where people speak a language other than English, it's best to get started on learning that language before you leave the US. (If that's not possible for you, that's OK! Get started when you arrive.) Even if many people speak English, in the vast majority of countries, people will appreciate your efforts to learn, and it will help you integrate into your new culture more quickly and easily. Don't assume that English is the default language, even if many people speak it.

Learning the language is often a requirement for working in the country or for a citizenship exam.

Cultural differences

In every country, there are going to be cultural norms that are different from those of the US. These include things like greetings, giving more or less personal space, or celebrating different holidays. It's important to do some research to find out what these are. While there will always be a few cultural differences that you're not prepared for, the more you know ahead of time, the easier it will be to adjust.

Be prepared to adapt to these differences and embrace a more local way of life. Whether it's about food, work schedules, or social customs, be flexible and open-minded. Respect local traditions and adjust your behaviour accordingly. For example, learn appropriate greetings, adhere to dress codes, and be mindful of cultural sensitivities. Learn to appreciate the small differences that make each culture unique and enriching.

Cultural differences at work

As for other aspects of life, work place culture is likely to be different in different countries. This affects all aspects of work, for example

expectations for working hours
how close/friendly people are with their co-workers
the culture around giving feedback, appropriate levels of politeness etc.
shared meals, handling of celebrations at the work place (e.g. birthdays or holidays)

While some of those differences will be part of cultural differences between work places, others will be cultural differences, some of which might or might not also be backed by law (e.g. minimum wage, maximum working hours per day/week, …).

If you can, do some research on those cultural differences before arriving/starting work in your new country of residency. As for cultural differences generally, it's important to keep an open mind to these differences.

Build a local network

One of the best ways to learn about your new culture and have people who can guide you through cultural differences is to make friends. Especially at first, this may involve going outside your comfort zone. One way to do this is to find something you like to do, and do it with others. If you like singing, join a local choir. Join a local soccer team or a hiking club. Don't wait until you speak the language perfectly; this will give you lots of opportunities to learn vocabulary and practice! This will also give you an opportunity to observe and listen to how locals interact, and gives you an opportunity to practice those interactions.

Learn about the country you're going to (research research research)

You'll understand the culture better if you have an idea of the country's history. It's pretty fascinating to learn about the history and culture of places that were neglected in our US education. The more you know, the easier it will be to understand references and integrate into your new community. This wiki aims to be a good starting place: check the country pages of interest to you for any additional country-specific cultural and integration information. Once you know what city you're going to, research that city. What's cool about it's history? Do people there speak the same language as the rest of the country? Have they always?

When doing research: Beware of unregulated monetized advice online. This includes people selling you services and resources or people creating content for social media platforms. Also be aware that people visiting a country or living there without the intention to stay there are going to have different experiences than people who are planning to make the country their home. The best way to have an experience that is good for you and the people around you is to treat your new country as your new home, even if you think your stay will be temporary.