"Settled in well in Germany?" Tools for Better Coping with Culture Stress

Different, strange, difficult – or just exhausting? Sometimes we think we’re the only ones feeling uncomfortable, insecure, or "lost" in a new environment. In fact, everyone who leaves their familiar surroundings and "dives" into an unfamiliar system experiences this phenomenon to some degree. 
Particularly at the beginning of a stay abroad, and even after years, we can feel like we haven’t fully "arrived". 
Since everyone reacts to stress differently, cultural stress often goes unrecognized as the root cause. Cultural stress is a part of any mobility experience – but there are effective strategies and tools to manage this challenge more easily and to unlock the potential behind it.

This workshop is a mix of practical exercises and short theoretical inputs. You will receive checklists and helpful tips and have the chance to exchange experiences and network with other students in a safe space.

This is what it's all about:   

1. My stay in Germany

• Identifying my personal stressors and resources
• Optimizing my strategies to reduce cultural stress
• Rethinking the "culture shock model”: viewing a familiar phenomenon from a new perspective

2. My communities and social connections

• Finding and utilizing resources on and off campus

The aim of this workshop is for you to 

• better understand the phenomenon of cultural stress and yourself,
• optimize your strategies and use them in a targeted manner to reduce cultural stress,
• “reconcile” yourself with the question of belonging and utilize the potential that lies behind it,
• be better equipped to manage your current stay as well as future challenges.