5.1.8 Health and safety

1. Culture Shocks in everyday life

Figure out what may happen once entering but also while leaving your country of mobility and be prepared with some individual and group resilience strategies if ever needed.

Definition

Culture shock is an experience of disorientation while living under new circumstances, in a new culture, or unfamiliar practices/ways of living. It can be exhilarating—and overwhelming.

One of the best ways to prepare for the experience of culture shock is to understand culture shock symptoms and become familiar with the culture shock stages that you may face.

https://pincinternational.com/culture-shock-mental-health-abroad/

---->  If you get well prepared through reading and watching Videos BEFORE you leave, an objective could be going  through these phases with as much serenity as possible.

Check for this or other videos on the topic "Cultural Adjustment while Abroad" :    

https://www.now-health.com/en/blog/culture-shock-stages/

Re-entry or reverse culture shock can happen once you return home after living abroad for an extended period.

You may quickly realise that things are very different from when you left, and feel like you no longer belong as your family, friends and even your home town have changed and moved on without you.

You might find yourself saddened that your newly learned customs and tradition are not applicable in your home country, and you have to go through the whole process of adjustment and adaptation all over again!

Culture shock stages diagram:

https://pincinternational.com/culture-shock-mental-health-abroad/

1. Honeymoon
2. Rejection
3. Regression
4. Recovery
5. Reverse Culture Shock  (see below details)

Reverse cultural shock:

Also get slowly mentally prepared for this common phenomenon as you travel back home after the training abroad:

>>>  Observations    
For more details:  https://www.goabroad.com/articles/how-to-deal-with-reverse-culture-shock

1. Changed relationships: friends married or moved away
2. Learning how to take a different transportation system
3. Complete routine and lifestyle changes like sitting at an office when you were previously on your feet all day
4. No one wants to listen to your travel stories
5. Having heated conversations with your relatives because your political view has changed
6. Missing feeling special in the foreign country; no longer receiving warm greetings as you walk by
7. Having a life-changing experience that no one else around you can relate to
8. People expect you to be the same person you were before leaving
9. Family and friends think you are bragging all the time because you are always comparing things to life overseas
10. Some think you are being ungrateful and pretentious for wanting to go abroad again
11. Family and friends don’t understand why you think and feel the way you do

Culture Shock Symptoms

While experiencing the ups and downs of culture shock, you feel many different feelings - excitement, joy, anxiety, depression. 

All feelings are valid, and as overwhelming as they may be sometimes, it is important to address how you are feeling in order to find the best ways to take care of yourself and to move forward. You will have highs, and you will have lows.

Embrace each stage, they have something incredible to teach you, even if it is hard to see in the moment.

https://pincinternational.com/culture-shock-mental-health-abroad/

Recommended preparatory steps

https://pincinternational.com/culture-shock-mental-health-abroad/

Pre-abroad preparations
1. Create your support system
2. Set expectations
3. Reflect on how you’re feeling now

Tools while being abroad
1. Journaling
2. Exercise
3. Meditation
4. Build a community
5. Set a routine

Post-abroad reflection
1. Keep in touch with your friends from your program
2. Set reasonable expectations
3. Be intentional with your time and energy

Reflection exercise

• By now, any fears, doubts or expectations?
• Do you feel prepared for your mobility?
• Did you inform yourself well about the culture and can you imagine yourself living there?
• Any topic do you need to dig into before you go?

=> Write all this down and look for workarounds, for sources of information and ideas as to your open questions before you leave.

2. Occupational Safety and Health

Before the internship, all participants will receive an info-pack with all details and information about the training’s contents, objectives, work programme and practical arrangements.

SOURCE :  https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/resource-centre/content/mini-course-mobility-management-mentors   page 21
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PLEASE WRITE DOWN AND TICK YOUR CHECKLIST BEFORE DEPARTURE IN ORDER TO BE "ON THE SAFE SIDE"

Travel & Health Insurance:

Before the mobility, participants are strongly recommended to apply for a travel & health insurance in order to guarantee their safety during the trip and the stay abroad.

Insurance against accident at work:

In order to avoid risks during the mobility, participants can also be suggested to apply for an insurance against accident at work and a civil liability insurance, in case of damages towards the host organizations

Health & Safety rules:

PLEASE HAVE A LOOK AT THOSE VIDEOS:

  

On the first day of the mobility, in order to guarantee trainee’s safety during the internship, the mentor should share the Health & Safety rules with mentees. Every intern is responsible for familiarizing themselves with the host company’s emergency plan.

On the first day of internship, trainees are asked to:
• observe all established safety rules.
• report problems on site to the assigned mentor without any delay.
• refrain from conducting personal business during work hours (emails, calls, visits or other)

!!! AT THIS STAGE, IN CASE THE MOBILITY IS FULLY VIRTUAL,
PLEASE CONSIDER ENROLLING ON THE ATINGI  PLATFORM
AND CHECKING FOR THIS COURSE "SAFELY WORKING FROM HOME"
    https://online.atingi.org/enrol/index.php?id=190

Special Needs:

Before interns’arrival, all the sending organizations will take note of all interns’ special needs, diet, allergies or any intolerance. 

This information will help mentors when arranging the internship activities and the meals.

About the mobility venue:

All the internship venues must be chosen considering the national safety regulations,
emergency plans, first Aid Kit and staff trained on the first aid measures according to the national rules.

Illness during Internship:

In case of illness, the intern should inform the mentor and the sending organization as soon as possible. The mentors will provide the necessary support to the interns in case of need.

_______________________________________________________________________________
!!! AT THIS STAGE, IN CASE THE MOBILITY IS FULLY VIRTUAL,
PLEASE CONSIDER CHECKING ON THE OPENSEL PLATFORM,
FOR THIS COURSE "STRESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS"
    https://xerte.vistacollege.nl/play.php?template_id=1258#page1
_______________________________________________________________________________

Lack of proper work attitude:

!!! AT THIS STAGE, 

• INFORM YOURSELF ABOUT WHAT ATTITUDE WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE IN THE COUNTRY OF MOBILITY.
• IS THERE A BIG GAP BETWEEN YOUR WORK CULTURE AND THE ONE OF YOUR COUNTRY OF MOBILITY?
• WILL YOU HAVE TO ADJUST A LOT, AND HOW  DO YOU INTEND TO DO SO?

• If the intern does not have an appropriate work attitude, the mentor should inform the sending organization.
• A meeting may also be requested by the mentor.
• The mentor will invite the student to a meeting at which areas for improvement will be identified.

Early termination of the mobility:

Depending on the specific circumstances, the intern may be warned or even barred from completing the
internship:

• Use of offensive language
• Wearing provocative or offensive clothes
• Reporting for duties while under the influence of alcohol, illegal, prescribed or non-prescribed controlled substances.
• Inappropriate behavior