Content introduction

§1.3 Reverse culture shock as a kind of culture shock
Many people are familiar with the concept of "culture shock", which refers to the phenomenon of difficult adaptation and initial rejection of local customs, mores of the country you came to.
But specialists studying typical problems of foreign students are also aware of a phenomenon called "reverse culture shock". This phenomenon is due to the fact that you also have to adapt to the changed conditions of your home country, you who have changed during a long stay abroad. The significance, depth, acuteness, and often the painfulness of this phenomenon exceed the expectations of a person to whom this phenomenon is unfamiliar.
Returning home, subconsciously we expect to meet everything at home as it was, and perceive the entire environment of the house with the same eyes. However, a lot has changed in the standard of living, the political climate, in relations between relatives and friends, and also you have changed during the time spent abroad, and you perceive many things in a new way.
It may happen, and very often it turns out that you expected that many people would be very interested in your new experience, your adventures abroad, but it turned out that it was not so interesting to others, and you feel that it is unfair.
One of the tips in this situation is to meet with those with whom you have managed to make friends during your life in a foreign country.
Preventive measures to overcome the "reverse culture shock":
To mitigate the "reverse culture shock" while still abroad, try to be interested in how things are going at home. Read Russian newspapers, magazines, watch news on the Internet. A good source of information can also be people who have just arrived from your home country abroad, or those who regularly travel back and forth.
Try to keep track of what is happening in the areas that you will have to face on your return – whether it is the sphere of professional or everyday interests.
Try to contact someone you know who has already experienced a "culture shock on the contrary", ask them to share their experience.
Upon arrival at home, visit all the places where you have been with pleasure before in order to fix in your mind the changes that have happened to them.
Communicate more with family, close friends and even just with friends. Find out what new things have happened during your absence – this way you will be able to fit into the new environment faster and accept it.
Keep in touch with your friends who have stayed abroad – write letters. This will help you to "link" two worlds in your life, two phases of your life – "here" and "there".
Watch TV and listen to the radio – the information stream in your native language will help you adapt faster and accept new "cult knowledge".
Often, from afar, our native country begins to seem to us truly an earthly paradise. By the way, sometimes it's enough to go home for a while to start to perceive reality adequately again.
So, coming to another country and getting into an unusual environment, it is difficult to expect a constant feeling of happiness. The resulting psychological discomfort gradually disappears as you get used to a new environment. The period of adaptation is a test that gives us not only the experience of learning the language, people and foreign culture, but also understanding ourselves, as well as discovering something new - both in the language and in the culture of our native country.