Moving abroad
Culture shock resources: what helps, and what to read next.
A short, curated shelf for the hard middle of a move: coping habits that work, and the books, podcasts and research behind them.
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The short answer
The most reliable ways to cope with culture shock are steady routines, learning the unwritten rules on purpose, building a few local connections, and talking to people who have made a similar move. Books like The Art of Crossing Cultures and podcasts about expat life help you feel less alone. If low mood, anxiety or sleep problems become severe or last a long time, talk to a doctor or counsellor.
Coping strategies that actually help
None of these remove the strain overnight. Together they shorten the hardest stretch.
- Keep two or three home rituals: a meal, a call time, a playlist. Familiar anchors lower the daily load.
- Protect sleep, food and movement first. Culture shock feels much bigger when you are tired.
- Learn one unwritten rule a week on purpose: queuing, small talk, how people say no.
- Say yes to small, low-stakes plans with locals. Friendships usually grow out of repetition, not big moments.
- Find people who have made the same move. Shared stories turn "what is wrong with me" into "this is normal".
- Write down what drained you and what helped. Patterns show up within a couple of weeks.
- Expect a dip, and expect it again when you go home. Reverse culture shock is common.
Books
Classic, practical reads that hold up years after publication.
- Craig Storti, The Art of Crossing Cultures: why culture shock happens and how to work with your reactions.
- Craig Storti, The Art of Coming Home: a guide to reverse culture shock after time abroad.
- Erin Meyer, The Culture Map: eight scales for how people communicate, disagree, decide and trust.
- David C. Pollock, Ruth E. Van Reken and Michael V. Pollock, Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds.
- L. Robert Kohls, Survival Kit for Overseas Living: a short, practical classic for first-time movers.
Podcasts
Listening to other people describe the same dip can be surprisingly steadying.
- The Expat Focus Podcast: honest conversations with people who have moved abroad, including an episode on expat mental health.
- Expat Insights: expat coach Annegret Bertsch on culture shock, belonging and transitions.
- Expat Happy Hour: episodes on raising children abroad, including one with Third Culture Kids co-author Ruth Van Reken.
- Expat-ish: identity, belonging and cultural friction after the novelty wears off.
Articles and research
For readers who want the ideas behind the stages, start with these, then the culture shock pages on this blog.
- Kalervo Oberg (1960), the article that named culture shock.
- Colleen Ward, Stephen Bochner and Adrian Furnham, The Psychology of Culture Shock: the standard research overview.
- John W. Berry (1997), Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation: the four acculturation strategies.
When to get more support
Culture shapes habits, not destinies. Every pattern here describes tendencies people often notice, never a rule about the person in front of you.
Build your own kit
- Which two home rituals will I protect this week?
- Which unwritten rule do I want to learn next?
- Who has made this move before me?
Questions worth asking
What is the best way to cope with culture shock?
Keep steady routines, learn local norms deliberately, build a few connections, and talk to people who have made similar moves. Be patient: it usually eases with time.
What is a good book about culture shock?
Craig Storti's The Art of Crossing Cultures is a practical starting point. For returning home, try his The Art of Coming Home.
Are there podcasts about culture shock?
Yes. Expat-focused shows such as The Expat Focus Podcast, Expat Insights and Expat-ish regularly discuss culture shock and belonging.
Who first wrote about culture shock?
Anthropologist Kalervo Oberg described it in a 1960 article.
Sources and further reading
Research provides context, not validation of Tarock. Community discussions illustrate questions people ask; they are not scientific evidence or demand estimates.
- Kalervo Oberg, “Cultural shock: adjustment to new cultural environments” (Practical Anthropology, 1960)
- Ward, Bochner & Furnham, The Psychology of Culture Shock (2nd ed., Routledge, 2001)
- John W. Berry, “Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation” (Applied Psychology, 1997)
- The Expat Focus Podcast
- Expat Insights: Culture Shock and Finding Belonging Abroad
- Expat Happy Hour 125 with Ruth Van Reken
- Expat-ish podcast
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