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Reverse Culture Shock – What It Is and How to Handle It
Coming back home after living abroad can be exciting. You look forward to seeing family and friends, eating your favorite foods, and speaking your own language. But sometimes, returning home doesn’t feel as comfortable as you expected. You might feel out of place, confused, or even a bit sad. If that happens, you’re likely experiencing reverse culture shock.
This blog post will explain what reverse culture shock is, why it happens, and what you can do to deal with it in a healthy way.
What Is Reverse Culture Shock?
Reverse culture shock is the emotional and mental struggle that can happen when you return to your home country after living abroad. It’s like culture shock in reverse. When you moved to another country, you probably went through an adjustment period. You had to get used to new customs, foods, languages, and ways of doing things. Over time, you adapted and created a new routine.
When you come back home, you expect everything to feel familiar. But you’ve changed—and so has home. You may notice things you never paid attention to before, or feel disconnected from your old life. That’s reverse culture shock.
Common Signs of Reverse Culture Shock
Everyone experiences it differently, but some common feelings include:
- Feeling like you don’t belong in your own country
- Missing your life abroad, sometimes more than you expected
- Getting frustrated with how things are done at home
- Feeling bored, restless, or misunderstood
- Difficulty reconnecting with friends and family
- Feeling like no one understands what you’ve been through
These feelings are normal. You’re not alone, and they won’t last forever.
Still abroad? This article about culture shock could be helpful!
Why Does It Happen?
There are a few reasons reverse culture shock happens:
- You’ve changed. Living abroad can change your habits, values, and perspective. You may now see the world differently.
- Home has changed too. Even if your home looks the same, people and routines may have moved on while you were gone.
- Expectations don’t match reality. You may have thought returning home would be easy and joyful—but instead, it feels strange or disappointing.
- Lack of understanding. Friends and family might not fully understand what your life was like abroad. That can make you feel isolated.
Here’s a short story to bring this to life:
After two years in Costa Rica, Anna finally moved back to Finland. She had missed the quiet lakes, rye bread, and her childhood friends. But in her first week home, something felt… strange.
At the grocery store, no one made small talk. When she smiled at the cashier and said, “Hi! How are you?”—the woman just blinked, scanned her items, and gave a polite nod. At a café, she tried to chat with the person next to her in line. They stepped back and gave her a confused look.
Back in Costa Rica, friendly greetings and casual chats were a part of everyday life. Here, everything felt colder. Faster. Quieter. She even found herself annoyed that people didn’t greet each other in elevators.
Anna felt out of place in her own country. She hadn’t expected that.
It took time, but she started adjusting. She kept her warm Costa Rican habits, but also re-learned the rhythms of Finnish life. She found a balance—one that let her be both Finnish and a little bit Costa Rican at heart.
How to Deal With Reverse Culture Shock: 5 Practical Tips
Here are some simple and helpful ways to manage reverse culture shock:
1. Be patient with yourself
Give yourself time to adjust. Just like you needed time to get used to your host country, you need time to re-adapt to home. You might not feel settled in right away, and that’s okay.
2. Talk about your experience—but don’t expect everyone to get it
Share your stories and what you learned abroad, but understand that not everyone will be interested or able to relate. Try not to take it personally. Find people who are curious and supportive and connect with other people who have returned home after a period abroad.
3. Stay in touch with your international life
Keep in contact with friends from abroad, follow news from your host country, cook the food you loved, or listen to the music you discovered there. Keeping those connections alive can help you feel balanced.
4. Write it out
Journaling can help you process your thoughts and emotions. What do you miss? What surprises you about being back? What have you learned about yourself? Writing it down can help bring clarity.
5. Create a “new normal”
Don’t try to go back to your old routine exactly as it was. You’ve grown and changed, and your daily life should reflect that. Think about what you want your life to look like now, and take small steps toward that. You can also think about the strengths you developed while living abroad—flexibility, problem-solving, independence. How can you use those skills at home? Whether in your studies, career, or daily life, those experiences still matter.
Reverse culture shock can be confusing and emotional, but it’s also a sign that your time abroad had an impact on you. You grew, you changed, and now you’re adjusting again. That’s part of the journey. Try to be kind to yourself as you figure out what this next chapter looks like. You don’t have to “go back” to who you were before—you can move forward with everything you’ve gained. In time, you’ll find your new rhythm.
Have you experienced reverse culture shock? What helped you get through it? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
Tanja is a Certified Intercultural Communication Coach and an expert on Work Style Analysis (WSA). With a Master's Degree in Business Administration, specializing in Leadership and People Management, she helps companies and assists leaders in comprehending cultural dimensions and leveraging existing cultural differences to create powerful organizational strengths.
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