How to cope with cultural crises during the expat adjustment period

According to research, adaptation to a new environment comes in four stages, during which a cultural crisis is likely to occur.

Given the totally foreign culture of China and its present-day popularity with Western expats, it’s no surprise that Western expats experience a cultural crash somewhere along the line. Research shows the four stages of honeymoon, crisis and culture shock, adjustment and adaptation take some years for the average expat to negotiate and get through unscathed by the experience.

New arrivals see their destination through a romantic haze at first, with the resulting euphoria lasting for up to three years. Subsequently, the exotic and unusual become boring and the excitement of being in a unique new environment diminishes, bringing on the dreaded ‘Laowai crisis’. Symptoms include frustration and annoyance replacing enjoyment and wonder, favourite street foods seeming unappetising and unhealthy, street noise becoming unbearable and a formerly happy life crashing in ruins. The only good news about this period in expatriate life, whether in China or in other favourite expat hubs, is that recovery is inevitable.

Most expatriates affected with Laowai crisis culture shock or its equivalent elsewhere in the world get over it and get on with their lives without identifying triggers such as lousy weather, missing the home country, feeling lonely and being too busy to sit back and enjoy the moment. The stress of learning a tricky new language also doesn’t help. Those who’ve been through this uncomfortable stage of adjustment advise sufferers not to panic but consider all the advantages of life in a new land as compared with life in the home country. As a last resort, those affected should remember that reverse culture shock after giving up and going back home is certain to be even worse!