It’s Culture Trasition Tip Tuesday once again!

Here is Tip #9

It’s Culture Transition Tip Tuesday again!

Here is Tip #8

It’s Culture Transition Tip Tuesday again!

Here is tip #4

It’s “Culture Transition Tip Tuesday” again! 

Here is Tip #2

Welcome to my new series  ”Culture Transition Tip Tuesdays”! 

For the next 10 weeks, I’ll feature a 1 – 2 minute video tip for you to successfully transition cultures.  I hope you enjoy the videos, and I welcome your feedback!

Here is tip #1:

Relocating to a new place unfortunately brings the likelihood that you may feel depressed once in a while for a myriad of reasons I’ve mentioned before on my blog.  We can never have enough strategies to beat depression so here are a few tips in case you’re in the blues:

1. Get outside.  Feel the fresh air on your face, even if it’s raining or snowing, just go outside and be reminded that there is life outside your door.
2. Pet a dog. (Or cat, or horse…) Somehow, animals are magic when it comes to depression, and spending just a few minutes with the animal of your choice can work wonders.  If you’re allergic, take a Claritin or whatever your favorite allergy medecine is and find an animal to pet!  Don’t have one or live near someone who does? Find the nearest pet shop and ask to hold a dog or cat even for a few minutes!  No pet shop?  Try an animal shelter.
3. Do one thing on your to-do list.  It doesn’t matter how small – buy the tube of toothpaste you need, go to the coffee shop you’ve been meaning to try, wash the laundry – just do ONE thing.  Action steps help draw you forward and get out of the “I’m stuck” feeling.
4. Call or email a friend.  Pick one person, let them know what’s going on.  Don’t isolate yourself.  Try to unload one time, and promise yourself, and your friend, you’ll work on strategies to pull yourself out of the depression, starting the next time you contact him or her.
5. Throw out clutter.  The act of throwing out all those papers and boxes and whatever else is causing a mess is very therapeutic!

* Want to learn more ways to beat depression and settle in to a new culture? Check out The Personal Success Method! *

I found myself watching a kid’s TV show yesterday called “Ni Hao – Kai Lin”, and just as I was going to change the channel, I got sucked into the theme of the episode – fear of things that are different.  I decided to keep watching, and it was like seeing an Expat Coach in action for kids!

In the episode, all the characters attend a birthday party in the clouds. Everyone is having loads of fun, except Hoho, the monkey shown in the photo here.  He is very upset because, as he puts it, “Everything is so different.”  The food is different, the birthday hats are different (hippo hats), the see-saw is different (it goes in a circle instead of up and down.)

Isn’t this the epitome of a move to a new culture?  Everything is different, right down to the streets you may walk on when outside.  And, often times our first reaction to change and differences is to withdraw, and be fearful.  In the TV show, this is what Hoho did, and he ended up all by himself while everyone else had fun.  This reminded me of how we tend to self-isolate ourselves if we get stuck in the fear.

Luckily, one of Hoho’s friends encouraged him to just try something, even though it was different.  After hesitating for quite a while, Hoho finally gives in and tries a peach candy, saying that it’s so different from the banana crackers he is used to.  As he chews the peach candy, he realizes just how different it is, but is surprised to find that he likes it!  This makes him so excited that he asks for a hippo party hat, which he finds soft and comfortable.  This leads him to jump in and play games and he ends up interacting with, and surrounded by, all of his friends at the party.

I realize this is an oversimplified example, but I felt the major themes were still of value:

• When you go to a new place, expect things to be different
• Things that are different may seem scary when you have no experience with them
• If you get stuck in fear of differences, you may end up isolated and lonely and sad
• Jumping in and trying new things makes them less foreign, and more familiar
• You may find that you LIKE different things, or doing things you’re accustomed to in a different manner
• The more you jump in and embrace differences, the more likely you are to be surrounded by friends

* For more encouragement and ideas to successfully transition to a new culture, visit the the Culture Transition Success Store! *

My ultimate dream is to make a positive difference in people’s lives through coaching and charity. 

Culture Transition Coaching is about helping people overcome the biggest hurdles when they adjust to a new life in an unfamiliar place.  Specifically, the social, personal, and professional challenges you will be faced with the first 12 – 18 months, as well as career development beyond that.  

With the recent tragedies in Haiti and Chile, I wanted to do something more to make a difference.  So, for the month of March, I have decided to merge my two dreams into one – I want to help you, AND, help victims of these two tragedies.  So, during March, buy any Culture Transition Success product, and I will donate HALF, yes 50%, of your purchase price, to the American Red Cross.  Please spread the word! 

Simply visit www.culturetransition.com/products and I will acknowledge the donation after your purchase.

I’m not sure where I heard this for the first time, but I think this is a beautiful, inspirational phrase, to have at your beck and call when you’re relocating.  To me, it implies that, no matter where in the world you are, you should always look for the opportunities for personal growth around you. This means you have to look up, instead of down, choose optimism over pessimism, and be open to trying new things, and approaching old things in a new way.

I offer you this simple phrase in the hopes that it may provide you with inspiration as you transition to a new culture!