Adapting abroad

You've just arrived in Luxembourg to work, and everything isn't exactly as you expected ?
Are you unsure if you're in the right place ? You may be experiencing culture shock. Don’t panic, it's perfectly normal to find yourself in this situation.

While moving abroad can be an incredible and enriching experience, it also requires quite a bit of adjustment. Your life changes, but it's also psychologically and in terms of your identity that you may find yourself evolving. This is what we call acculturation, the process of change that occurs when several cultures interact. It is not always pleasant, but fortunately, temporary ! In this article, you'll learn more about this state and the various stages involved in adapting to a new country.

Stage 1 : Honeymoon phase

Freshly arrived on the Luxembourgish soil, it's likely that you've started with the honeymoon phase. This is an extremely positive stage, characterized by the excitement of being here, a strong curiosity of discovering a new culture and the euphoria of adventure. Everything seems beautiful, interesting and better (because it's new). Psychologically, this state leads you to focus your attention on the positive : you don't see the difficulties, the problems, the negatives of your new life. As a result, you're very curious and open-minded about the new culture. This phase can last several weeks or months. If you're still there, great, enjoy it ! However this euphoria doesn't usually last, and that's normal, because it's not a very objective view of your surroundings.

Stage 2 : Culture shock

After a while, the novelty wears off a little and your brain regains its ability to see the negative. Perhaps too much so. You notice the differences between you and the new country. If they seemed interesting before, they can now irritate, frighten or confuse you. Routine also sets in, but in a country where you may not know the language or the norms. In short, without your roots and references points. Everything has to be learned, and that takes a lot of energy. The concept of acculturation stress describes the psychological state of an individual trying to adapt to a new cultural environment. It is characterized by :

• Uncertainty, anxiety or stress
• Cultural conflicts because norms, customs, ways of doing things, values and traditions are different.
• Anger and frustration
• Loneliness and homesickness.

This can affect your sleep, your habits and your overall sense of well-being. Fortunately, this stage is also temporary.

Stage 3 : Adjustment or acculturation

As you interact with your new environment, you begin to understand it better and adapt to it. Little by little, you establish your bearings. You learn the host country’s customs and choose which one you want to keep. This is also the time to question your relationship with your native culture. You may choose to immerse yourself completely in Luxembourg life, abandoning your old habits. Conversely, you may reject the Luxembourg way of doing things. Or you may find a mix of both. In short, you find your own cultural balance.

What can help you take care of yourself during this period of adjustment ?

If going through a bit of a rough patch is part of the game, it's always possible to put strategies in place to deal with it.

Here are 5 tips for coping :

• Take care of your physical health : Pay attention to your diet, take the time to cook, get regular exercise and take care of your sleep. These aspects are essential for creating a solid foundation for your balance and for maintaining or restoring your energy. They are powerful allies in the face of adversity.
• Pay attention to integration : Studies on the subject show that it's important, in a new country, to be curious about the culture and try to integrate. However, the people who cope best psychologically are those who also manage to maintain parts of their own culture. Find a balance in your new environment, without forgetting where you come from.
• Work on your optimism : Your brain can focus on the negative for a while. By forcing yourself to think about what's going well, you force it to regain its capacity for nuance. You can do this with a simple exercise : every evening, take the time to write down one (or more) positive things from your day.
• Ask for help : from friends and family, from your general doctor, but also from our ASTF team. You can reach out to our psychologist team for psychological support. Don't be left alone with your difficulties !
• A dedicated training program called 'Thriving Abroad' is also available. It is aimed at new arrivals as well as managers and human resources professionals.
  This program helps you better understand 'integration stress' and its effects on health.