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Cross-Cultural HOME || Saying Goodbye ||  Managing Stress ||  Landing Overseas || 
Succeeding Overseas || Adapting || Moving On || Learning More

You can't avoid the process of adjusting, but you can manage it. Which strategies have proven most effective?

Keep a sense of humor. If you can drop the perfectionism and laugh at yourself, your journey will be easier and more fun.

Practice cultural learning strategies, such as the Transition Center's S.A.I.L. model.  

SEPARATE facts and feelings when you think about what happened. Regulating emotions is "the gateway skill for intercultural adjustment" (Matsumoto, 2005). Don't let negative reactions cloud your judgment.

ANALYZE how your culture affected the situation.

INVESTIGATE the host culture.

LIST strategies to try the next time.

Example of the S.A.I.L. Model

Separate facts & feelings:
I was giving a presentation and a man coughed and spit on the floor. I was disgusted and felt angry that he showed such a lack of respect.

Analyze my culture: Spitting is an insult and never done indoors (hmmm, the Wild West wasn't so long ago, and what about baseball players?)

Investigate:I asked my "culture mentor" and discovered that this is "normal" here. Since there are no indoor trash cans, what would someone even do with a used tissue? Perhaps as a result, people NEVER touch their food with their hands: they think our habit of eating while we are working or driving is disgusting!

List strategies: I'm not going to adopt this practice, but I will try not to let it bother me. If it happens a lot, I will investigate to see whether there is an acceptable way to promote an alternative.

Take care of your needs. An overseas move challenges the four basic
psychological needs: competence, relatedness, self-esteem, and a sense of control (Sheldon et al, 2001). People who have been there suggest that you:

• Accept that your new life is different than your old life. Expectations and comparisons are major sources of suffering.
• Make a commitment to learn and grow. This goal cannot be hindered by circumstances or other people.
• Keep an open mind and be flexible (things are"different," not "bad").
• Establish a routine or do what you can to gain a sense of stability and control. Find a balance between exploring and withdrawing.
• Re-establish a support network -don't allow yourself to become isolated. Include local people in your network as well as friends from your home country.
• Make time for internal activities, such as writing in a journal, listening to music, or walking.
• Get out there! Find ways to enjoy using your skills and developing new ones.

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