American domestic regulations The cultural order of the country Its place among all countries

Take care of your health. Relax when you feel stressed by listening to music, taking a long walk, reading a book, or enjoying a hot shower. Get plenty of sleep. Eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Take vitamins to stay healthy, and wash your hands often. Consider writing in a journal to remember the best experiences and work through the difficult ones.

Speak English during your program. You may be uncomfortable with your skills and even feel embarrassed, but you will quickly notice that people will be patient and positive when correcting your mistakes, and your English abilities will improve by understanding these mistakes. Everyone will admire you for your willingness and desire to improve. As you learn, you will become more confident about interacting with your surroundings. Everything will get easier with time and practice. A new world of possibilities and experiences will open up for you. And because everyone around you speaks English, speaking English will enable you to make friends with people from many cultures. These friendships are some of the most rewarding elements of the program, and are a great way to overcome culture shock.

Don’t keep silent if you need help. Talk to someone. When you’re feeling the stress of culture shock, it often helps to talk about these feelings. A friend, co-worker, colleague or InterExchange staff member can help ease your worries just by listening. Keeping quiet or sticking to your native language can further isolate and alienate you from your surroundings.

If your symptoms persist or are more severe than the symptoms listed, ask your doctor or health care professional for advice to address your concerns.
As always, whenever you need assistance, the InterExchange team is here to provide advice and support.
Some of the symptoms of culture shock are: excessive concern over cleanliness and the feeling that what is new and strange is "dirty." This could be in relation to drinking water, food, dishes, and bedding; fear of physical contact with attendants or servants; a feeling of helplessness and a desire for dependence on long-term residents of one's own nationality; irritation over delays and other minor frustrations out of proportion to their causes; delay and outright refusal to learn the language of the host country; excessive fear of being cheated, robbed, or injured; great concern over minor pains and irruptions of the skin; and finally, that terrible longing to be back home, to be in familiar surroundings, to visit one's relatives, and, in general, to talk to people who really "make sense."
Individuals differ greatly in the degree in which culture shock affects them. Although not common, there are individuals who cannot live in foreign countries. Those who have seen people go through a serious case of culture shock and on to a satisfactory adjustment can discern steps in the process.