* Keep in mind that many of the symptoms listed above can be indicative of other psychological challenges and stresses. However, if you are experiencing the above and have moved away from home within the past year or two, you may be going through the common stages of culture shock and acculturation.

So what can you do? Prepare your coping toolkit
While you may not be able to avoid the process of culture shock and acculturation, you can prepare a Culture Shock Coping Toolkit to help support you through the experience. This is a personal process, and therefore, unique. What works for one person may not work for another, but I hope you find these suggestions useful. 

1. A manual on what to expect: As with any adventure or challenge, having a sense of what to expect can help you map out the territory and recognize what is going on when it is happening, and therefore, get the support you need. For more on what to expect click here. 
2. Your “tried and true”: Even though this may be your first time experiencing culture shock, it is certainly not the first time life has thrown you a curve ball. Emotions like sadness, loneliness and anger are part of our human make-up, since childhood. Look back and remember how far you’ve come already. Building your toolkit on the healthy ways you have coped before is always a good way to start.
3. A list of creative expressions and physical outlets: Creative mediums (such as art, poetry, music, journaling) can be a great way of expressing and unloading some of the heavy feelings of sadness, depression, loneliness, etc. They can also be a great way to externalize these emotions. Physical movement such as exercising, dance and hiking, can be a great way to release tense feelings of anger and frustration. They can also be a great way to rejuvenate you and increase your energy. Explore and find out what works for you. Also, joining a class for any of these activities can create opportunities for you to meet people, make friends and have a good time.
4. A journal to record daily successes: We can be very good at forgetting our successes. Conversely, we are often super diligent at remembering what we have categorized as our failures. Now is a good time to adjust that balance. Getting “day-to-day” tasks completed while dealing with the stress of culture shock is a huge success. It is one of those unsung accomplishments of doing what needs to be done despite the challenges. By day-to-day accomplishments, I am referring to things such as opening a bank account, discovering a coffee shop you like, filling your car with gas for the first time (for that matter, anything you do for the first time), finding your way to a destination using GPS, finding your way to a destination without using GPS, cooking your first meal, joining a gym, etc. Everything counts! You may have been to coffee shops before, but doing it with the weight of culture shock on your shoulders is a whole other story. So celebrate these successes!  
5. A self-compassion & thumbs-up reminder: Yes, I’m serious. Let’s be proactive about this. It’s been my experience that as humans we have a strong aptitude for self-criticism. And when it comes to the intangible struggles of psychological challenges, our self-criticism and judgment can be pretty harsh. Write a card or design a poster for yourself with messages of compassion reminding you to be kind, gentle, and loving with yourself and do in fact be kind, gentle, and loving to yourself. Tune into what your body needs. Give yourself a smile and a wink whenever you catch your reflection. If the negative emotions are happening, allow yourself to rest and give yourself the space to cope. Culture shock can be exhausting. So resting will definitely be called for, and that is totally ok. And then pull out your Journal of Daily Successes, and remind yourself of what you’ve accomplished so far.
6. Get support from a professional: If you notice yourself struggling with any of the symptoms listed above, it can be helpful to work with a therapist. Finding someone who is familiar with culture shock can support you through the process.