From Culture Shock to Thriving: Navigating Life in a New Country with Confidence

cultural competence

Are you a newcomer to a different culture? Maybe you are a professional sent on an international assignment, a foreign jobseeker, an expat leading an international team, or a family member following a spouse abroad. Whatever your background, adapting to a new culture is a journey filled with excitement—and unique challenges.

No matter where you have travelled and lived before, the transition to living and working in a new country brings with it culture shock. It can be surprising and it impacts all of us to different degrees.

Since each person’s experience of culture shock is unique, developing self-awareness becomes a critical step in building adaptability and finding a sense of belonging in a foreign cultural environment.

A great place to start is to think about which of the distinct “stages of culture shock” might describe your situation best right now:

Honeymoon Stage – The initial excitement. The new environment feels fresh and intriguing, with curiosity driving engagement and exploration.
Frustration Stage – As routines settle in, frustrations arise due to language barriers, misunderstandings, and differing cultural norms. This stage can bring feelings of loneliness or homesickness.
Adjustment Stage – Gradual adaptation begins as familiarity grows. Developing routines and finding effective solutions to challenges bring a sense of stability.
Adaptation Stage – A balanced adjustment occurs. The individual feels at home, integrating aspects of their culture with the local one, often achieving a sense of belonging.

If what resonates with you most at this time is frustration or loneliness, it can be reassuring to know cultural adaptation usually progresses through these different stages. In the journey of cultural adaptation, understanding yourself—the triggers, reactions, and ways you process differences—can significantly enhance your ability to navigate cultural transitions effectively.

This journey is rarely linear. Some may revisit certain stages or experience them in a different order, and true adaptation takes time—often months or even years. Each person’s journey is unique, and the points of stress can vary greatly depending on your situation and experiences.

Let’s look at some common scenarios where culture shock plays a role and self-awareness combined with cultural intelligence can be a game-changer.

Points of Stress in Cultural Adaptation: Real-Life Examples

Finding Your Place as a Foreign Job Seeker (And Employee) When You “Stand Out” In Some Way

Finding a job can be a daunting task in an environment you are familiar with, but in a new country it can be particularly difficult. Foreign job seekers often stand out from other applicants in various ways, especially when you have to face language barriers, too.

Let’s consider Samira, a marketing professional, who has moved to a new country where she doesn’t speak the language fluently. In interviews, she highlights her past achievements and uses confident language but something feels off and she fails to connect with the interviewers. Puzzled, Samira seeks feedback and finds out her approach is seen as overly assertive or even arrogant.

Realising landing a job here is different from her experience at home, Samira starts looking for information and support. As her cultural knowledge increases, she realises in this new country humility is a cultural value and this difference is impacting her job search in a profound way.

She hires a cultural consultant and begins to understand the local norms and adapt her interview style. She adds details such as emphasising her interest in the company and grounding her strengths in practical terms. The small shift in her approach opens up new opportunities and helps her make connections.

Leading a Team Abroad: When Cultural Norms Affect Leadership Expectations

Leadership expectations differ significantly from one culture to another. Leading a team abroad often requires adapting your approach. Foreign leaders may find themselves navigating different cultural expectations around respect and authority—and sometimes, the results can be surprising.

Take Luis, a seasoned manager who recently took on a leadership role in a country with very different workplace norms. Coming from a background where hierarchy and authority (high power distance, or PDI+) were respected without question, Luis was accustomed to receiving deference from his team.

So, when he began working with his new team, he led like he always had. However, he noticed something unusual: his team members made suggestions for improvement to him, and sometimes even disagreed with his suggestions in front of others. Luis was taken aback, as this approach felt uncomfortable and even disrespectful to him.

Curious and eager to understand his team better, Luis sought feedback and support from a cultural consultant. What he discovered shifted his perspective: in this new culture, direct communication and participation in decision-making (low PDI) were highly valued. What felt like a lack of respect for him was actually a sign of trust and engagement. His team expected to take part in important matters, share their ideas openly, and be treated as equals in discussions.

Even though it felt counter-intuitive and uncomfortable at first, Luis adjusted his approach. He encouraged open dialogue in meetings, listened more actively to his team’s feedback, and gave them space to carry out their tasks independently. This change not only helped him build stronger relationships but also fostered a sense of mutual respect and trust. Over time, Luis learned that adapting his leadership style to embrace the local culture enhanced his team’s collaboration and productivity, allowing him to thrive in his role.

Supporting a Family Abroad: Finding Purpose as a Spouse

Moving abroad with a family often means big changes for everyone, but the experience can be especially challenging for spouses accompanying their partners on an international assignment. Many spouses leave behind careers, friendships, and routines, facing an unexpected journey of adaptation.

Take Emma, who relocated with her husband and two children to support her husband’s new role in an unfamiliar country. While her husband quickly became absorbed in his work and her children adjusted to their school, Emma found herself feeling isolated. Without the professional role she had left behind, each day felt like a struggle to find her own sense of purpose and understand her role as a mom and spouse in the new culture.

Recognising her need for connection and fulfilment, Emma sought out local resources. She joined community groups, attended workshops, and even took part in volunteering activities. Through these new routines, Emma began building meaningful relationships and carving out her own space in the community.

This shift helped her rediscover a sense of purpose, giving her both confidence and stability as she adjusted to the new culture. This in turn, not only enriched her life, but helped her better support her family’s transition, fostering a sense of belonging for everyone.

How to Adapt and Thrive through Cultural Intelligence and Self-Awareness

These stories illustrate the diverse ways in which cultural adaptation can challenge us. Adapting to a new culture is a deeply personal experience that comes with unique challenges and rewarding growth. Maybe you have already realised that cultural adaptation requires us to look inward, developing self-awareness to better understand our strengths and stress points.

While adaptation to a culture should not solely be the responsibility of the newcomer, it is common to find your employer or other networks may not have sufficient support resources available to you.

In this case, it falls on you to cultivate the self-awareness and cultural intelligence necessary to develop resilience and a true sense of belonging in the new environment.

There are a few qualities that are essential for cultural adaptability:

Cultural Resilience: Recovering from cultural misunderstandings or challenges.

Tolerance of Differences: Openness to diverse cultural practices and norms.

Interest in Different Cultures: Curiosity and willingness to engage with various cultures.

Sociability in Different Cultures: Ease in initiating and maintaining social interactions.

Flexibility in Diverse Situations: Adjusting behaviours and attitudes in response to cultural cues.

The Cultural Adaptability Profile (CAP) is an assessment that offers personalised insights into these key areas such as resilience, sociability, tolerance for ambiguity, and flexibility in unfamiliar cultural situations. Built on the Five-Factor Model of personality, the insights from CAP empower you to:

Identify which aspects of adaptation are easier and more difficult for your personality in the new culture
Learn to manage your emotional reactions to cultural differences
Create an action plan of smoother adaptation

CAP provides self-awareness and is an ideal starting point in developing cultural intelligence. Cultural intelligence is the skill that transforms understanding into action. It involves the ability to recognise, interpret, and respond to cultural differences effectively, and is one of the key drivers for success in international settings.

Adaptation is a journey. Embrace it and discover how cultural adaptability not only helps you navigate challenges but also reveals new strengths and insights about yourself. With the right tools and mindset, you’re prepared to make this new environment a true home.

Interested in the Cultural Adaptability Profile and developing your cultural intelligence? Hiring a cultural expert is the best way to get the support you need on the adaptability journey. E-mail me at [email protected] for more information and to book an assessment and a one-on-one session.

About Pia Kähärä and InCultures

Pia is a Systemic Team Coach and Cross-Cultural Consultant with over 25 years of experience in team multicultural leadership, cultural competence building, and international team growth. She is the founder of InCultures and an insightful speaker and author on topics such as DEI, team culture, cultural intelligence and leadership development.