Reverse Culture Shock
Categories: Marketing
“Reverse culture shock” is basically when we freak out upon moving home after a bunch of time spent overseas, or in an otherwise very different locale. We’ve gotten so used to the culture and society we've been living in that we have a really hard time adjusting to life back in our homeland.
For example, maybe we’ve spent a considerable amount of time in Spain, and now that we’re back in Manhattan, we’re really struggling to get through the workday without a siesta. Or maybe we’ve been hanging out in Italy for the past few years, where dinner starts at 8:30 at night and lasts for hours. Now that we’re back in the States, we just can’t get used to having dinner solo in front of the TV at 6 pm.
Sometimes, it can just take us a little while to get back in the swing of things. But, at other times...reverse culture shock can be severely mentally distressing. Having to readjust our timetables, our diet, our sleep and work patters, how we dress, how we greet people…it can really take a toll on someone.
Since so many companies are global now, some of them are starting to offer programs to help people readjust after long assignments abroad, so we’re definitely taking steps in the right direction. Now if only we could get that siesta thing to catch on here.
