By Paris Forsythe-Fields, Content Team Academic

During my first week living in Japan, I remember standing in a supermarket aisle trying to buy laundry detergent. It should have been a simple task. Back home, it would have taken seconds. But here, I found myself staring at rows of colourful bottles covered in labels I couldn’t read, unsure which one to pick.

Around me, other shoppers grabbed items from the aisles easily while I stood there feeling strangely out of place. I had been experiencing small moments like this all week. Things that had once been automatic suddenly required intense concentration and a certain amount of guesswork. In this unfamiliar environment, ordinary tasks felt overwhelming.

Standing there in the laundry aisle, I suddenly burst into tears. It wasn’t really about the detergent. It was the realisation that, basically overnight, I had gone from feeling capable and independent to feeling uncertain and anxious about even the simplest things.

This is what culture shock feels like.

I went on to live in Japan for four years. I had incredible experiences, and I am proud to say I can now read bottles of detergent very confidently. But adjusting wasn’t always easy.

This article explores why culture shock happens, why it can sometimes trigger or worsen anxiety, and how people can gradually learn to adjust to new environments.

What is culture shock?

Living in another country can be exciting, but it also requires a lot of effort and adjustment. Anthropologist Kalervo Oberg was the first to describe the psychological strain that can occur when someone moves to a new environment as culture shock (Oberg, 1960).

Despite the dramatic name, culture shock rarely arrives as a single overwhelming moment. Instead, it tends to build up slowly through small moments of confusion and unfamiliarity.

When we live in our home culture, many aspects of our lives run on autopilot. We know how to communicate with people, how to navigate public spaces, and how to do ordinary things like shop or go to the doctor. We understand social cues and rules without really thinking about them. But when we move somewhere new, these invisible rules disappear and are replaced by unfamiliar ones.

Simple tasks like shopping, using public transport, or even making small talk can require significantly more effort than they once did. The brain has to work harder to interpret unfamiliar language and behaviours. Over time, this constant effort can become mentally exhausting.

Because culture shock is so common, psychologists and sociologists have spent decades studying it. Their research suggests that, although the process looks slightly different for everyone, many people experience similar patterns of emotion as they adapt to life in a new culture (Oberg, 1960; Ward et al., 2001).

Stages of culture shock

Researchers often describe culture shock as unfolding in four stages: the honeymoon stage, the frustration stage, the adjustment stage, and the adaptation stage(Ward et al., 2001).

Many people begin with the honeymoon stage. During this time, the new environment feels exciting and full of possibilities. Cultural differences may seem interesting or charming, and everyday experiences can feel like small adventures. Trying new foods, exploring new locations, or hearing a foreign language spoken around you can feel exciting.

But often, this novelty fades, and people enter the frustration stage. This is the point where the challenges of everyday life in a new culture become more noticeable. Language barriers, unfamiliar systems, and small misunderstandings can start to feel exhausting. Feelings of homesickness, loneliness, or anxiety can emerge during this period.

Over time, many people gradually move into the adjustment stage. As familiarity with the new culture grows, daily routines become easier to manage. People begin to understand the local language and social expectations more clearly and feel more confident navigating everyday situations.

Eventually, some individuals reach the adaptation stage, where the new culture feels familiar and daily life settles into a more comfortable rhythm. Although the environment may still feel different from their home culture, it can gradually start to become a second home.

It is important to remember that these stages do not always occur in a clear and predictable order. People may move back and forth between them, and feelings of frustration or homesickness can reappear even after someone has begun the adaptation stage.

Culture shock and anxiety

While culture shock is a common part of living abroad, it can have a particularly strong impact on those with pre-existing anxiety disorders. People with conditions such as generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) or social anxiety disorder may find the adjustment to a new cultural environment especially hard (Carleton, 2016).

One reason for this is the level of uncertainty. Many of the situations people encounter in a new culture involve unfamiliar rules, expectations, or communication styles. Psychological research has shown that uncertainty can be a major source of anxiety (Carleton, 2016). People with anxiety disorders often have a lower tolerance for uncertainty, so may feel distressed when they cannot easily predict or understand situations in a new culture (Grupe & Nitschke, 2013).

For some people, this heightened anxiety can manifest in very tangible ways. Sometimes, the fear of a new place, a miscommunication, or accidentally breaking a social rule can trigger panic symptoms like a racing heart, shortness of breath, or dizziness (Ward et al., 2001).

It can also lead to avoidance behaviours. People may limit how often they leave the house, avoid social situations, or stay in familiar places where they feel more comfortable (Berry, 2006). While avoidance can provide temporary relief, it can also make it more difficult to build confidence and adjust in the long term.

Beyond the immediate fear of social blunders, the constant state of alertness needed to navigate a new culture can lead to mental fatigue. For someone without an anxiety disorder, understanding a new language or navigating a foreign supermarket may be a conscious but manageable task. For someone with GAD or panic disorder, however, these interactions can require an exhausting level of hypervigilance (Carleton, 2016).

When the brain is constantly scanning for potential mistakes or misunderstandings, the body can remain in a heightened state of stress. This is part of the natural “fight or flight” response, the system that prepares us to react to danger. When this response stays active for long periods, it can make someone more vulnerable to anxiety and panic because their body is operating at a higher level of tension (Barlow, 2001).

Many strategies for managing anxiety rely on things that show the brain it is safe. These might include trusted people, familiar places, or daily routines. Moving to a new country can remove many of these sources of reassurance almost overnight.

The absence of a close support system, such as friends or family, can lead to feelings of isolation. For people who struggle with social anxiety, forming new relationships in another language can feel especially difficult and may deepen the feelings of loneliness (Ward et al., 2001).

While culture shock can be especially hard for people with anxiety, it does not mean they are any less capable of adjusting to life in a new place. As familiarity with the environment increases, many of the situations that once felt overwhelming gradually become easier to manage. Over time, routines develop, connections form, and confidence builds.

Learning to feel at home again

One of the most important ways to overcome culture shock is through exposure to the new environment. In psychology, this process is often called habituation (Abramowitz et al., 2011). When a person is repeatedly exposed to a situation that triggers a stress response, the brain eventually learns that the situation is not a threat. Over time, anxiety begins to decrease because the environment is no longer perceived as new or dangerous (Abramowitz et al., 2011).

Building a routine can also help reduce anxiety. Simple habits, such as following an exercise routine or setting aside regular time to call friends and family, can help create a sense of structure in an unfamiliar environment. When parts of the day become predictable, the brain does not have to work as hard. This kind of predictability can provide small moments of stability within a new setting (Barlow, 2001).

Building social connections can also play an important role in helping people feel more settled. Talking to neighbours, going to language classes, or meeting colleagues outside of work or school can help people feel more connected to their surroundings. Over time, these relationships provide support and companionship, both of which are important for managing anxiety (Ward et al., 2001).

Making an effort to learn the local language can also make a significant difference to culture shock. Even basic reading comprehension and an understanding of common phrases can reduce the mental effort required to navigate everyday situations. As language understanding improves, conversations become easier to follow, and misunderstandings become less likely. This gradual reduction in cognitive load can help lower anxiety considerably (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1994).

As these practical adjustments take hold, the focus of daily life begins to shift. Rather than viewing the environment as a series of obstacles to be overcome, it gradually becomes a background to normal activity. The mental energy that was once spent on relearning basic survival is slowly redirected toward personal interests, socialising, and professional goals, just as it would be at home. The brain learns to gradually recalibrate its idea of “normal”.

Looking back, the moment I cried in that supermarket aisle feels strangely distant now. At the time, it felt like proof that I wasn’t strong enough to move to a new country. In reality, it was simply part of the process of learning to live somewhere new.

Culture shock can be uncomfortable, and for those living with anxiety, it can feel especially intense. But these reactions are a normal part of adaptation. With time and effort, familiarity grows, confidence returns, and the place that once felt foreign can begin to feel like home.

Bibliography

Abramowitz, J. S., Deacon, B. J. & Whiteside, S. P. H., 2011. Exposure Therapy for Anxiety: Principles and Practice. New York: Guilford Press.

Barlow, D. H., 2001. Anxiety and Its Disorders: The Nature and Treatment of Anxiety and Panic. New York: Guilford Press.

Berry, J., 2006. Acculturative Stress. In: P. T. P. Wong & L. C. J. Wong, eds. Handbook of Multicultural Perspectives on Stress and Coping. Boston: Springer, pp. 287-298.

Carleton, R. N., 2016. Fear of the Unknown: One Fear to Rule Them All?. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Volume 41, pp. 5-21.

Grupe, D. W. & Nitschke, J. B., 2013. Uncertainty and Anticipation in Anxiety: an Integrated Neurobiological and Psychological Perspective. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Volume 14, pp. 488-501.

MacIntyre, P. D. & Gardner, R. C., 1994. The Subtle Effects of Language Anxiety on Cognitive Processing in the Second Language. Language Learning, 44(2), pp. 283-305.

Oberg, K., 1960. Cultural Shock: Adjustment to New Cultural Environments. Practical Anthropology, 7(4), pp. 177-182.

Ward, C., Bochner, S. & Furnham, A., 2001. The Psychology of Culture Shock. Hove: Routledge.