Moving across the world to a completely new cultural environment like you have
done by coming to Germany from India is an incredibly challenging life transition. It’s
normal and valid to feel disoriented, overwhelmed and anxious as you adjust to so
many new cultural norms, social cues, language barriers and ways of living that are
likely very different from what you’re accustomed to in India.
What you are going through is something that many people experience – it’s called
culture shock. The feelings of confusion, homesickness and anxiety are emotional
reactions to the immense stress of adapting to an entirely new cultural framework.
You’ve been taken out of the familiarity of your home environment and have to build
a whole new normal.
These intense feelings do not mean something is wrong with you. They simply reflect
how monumental and disruptive this change has been in your life. Please don’t be
too hard on yourself. The distress of culture shock can manifest as anxiety, sadness,
frustration and even anger as you negotiate new cultural identities and ways of
being.
With time, support and learning coping strategies, the anxiety will become more
manageable. For now, it’s important to validate how challenging this transition is
rather than judging the emotions that arise. Be patient and compassionate with
yourself through this process.
There are techniques like mindfulness, scheduling familiarities, connecting with your
cultural community, and practicing self-care that can help ground you. Most
importantly, don’t isolate yourself. Reach out for support – I’m here to listen and
explore ways to make this adjustment journey a bit easier. You have immense
resilience within you, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now. Together we can work
through this.