A corona cultural shock

Adapting to this new normal: learnings from School of Nursing lecturer Sonja Dawson

In whichever country we grow up and in whatever social circles we belong, our environment influences us. We’re told how to behave, taught what to believe and given acceptable guidelines on how to live appropriately within our culture.

Although born in Australia, I moved to Switzerland at age 24. Despite growing up with a Swiss father, it took time to acclimatise to a culture that valued punctuality, efficiency, cleanliness and formality. Trains leave platforms to the scheduled second. Arrivals for appointments are early not just in time. Fruit seeds or skins are not tossed away but taken home and composted. Titles and forms of address such as Frau are common. A sense of order and respect is pervasive and largely at odds with the more laid back, “she’ll be right” attitude of which I am accustomed.

After living in Switzerland, I volunteered on the Anastasis, a hospital ship operated by global charity Mercy Ships. With a crew representing about 40 countries and background briefings en route to new countries, the ship served as a mini United Nations, albeit one that had a Christian derivation and mission focus and adhered to maritime law. Navigating the cultural layers on board and the cultural differences on shore challenged me.

Now I teach cultural safety to undergraduate nursing students and lead them on service learning trips to the Solomon Islands. I prepare them to leave their home culture and enter another. This always includes learning how to act in a culturally appropriate way to minimise offending our hosts and devaluing our work.

New cultural contexts can be unsettling but we usually take responsibility for adapting to them because we choose to place ourselves within them. So, fast forward to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, to our new cultural context but one not of our choosing. With limited warning or preparation, we’ve had to acclimatise to social distancing, self-isolation, border closures, contact tracing. We’ve lost a sense of control and, perhaps, misplaced a sense of belonging. This culture shock can take a physical, emotional and spiritual toll.

I’ve identified three stages of coronavirus culture shock.

One, optimism. Working from home saved a three-hour return trip each day. It seemed I gained an extra 12 hours in my week and saved about $70 in petrol. This phase didn’t last long when reality set in and my expectations were unfulfilled.

Two, frustration. The challenge of learning new skills under pressure, changing practice and understanding how to adapt has left me feeling fatigued, overwhelmed and even angry. Some things that don’t usually phase me, such as misplacing glasses or car keys, have evoked overly emotional and defensive responses. As I’ve been writing, Mr Whippy has been driving around the streets playing “Auld Lang Syne” and it’s getting on my nerves! This is the stage when homesickness kicks in.

Three, assimilation. As we become more comfortable with the new normal, the feelings of the frustration stage start to fade. We develop new routines and ways of doing things. While acceptance may not mean we completely understand our new culture, we’ll hopefully still flourish. While not always a linear process, I’ve now moved to this stage.

I’ve adjusted quickly to some things during this pandemic but other things have been more arduous and challenging. I’ve had a mini meltdown or two and felt ashamed about how I’ve responded. I often have an image in my mind of the way I think things should be—and through my Swiss lens, they should be perfect! A perfect body, a perfect career, a perfect lifestyle, a perfect online course, a perfect PhD thesis. But in reality, I can’t live up to these expectations I’ve placed on myself. I constantly fall short of the ideals I hold or think others set in place for me. That leads to disappointment and a sense of failure.

After one of my mini meltdowns, I was reminded of the need to release unfulfilled expectations and embrace humility. Jesus says, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NLT). Expect setbacks and failures. We work towards goals only to see them thwarted. Unfulfilled expectations are painful.

To make a successful transition, we need to embrace the inconvenience and adapt for the good of ourselves and of others—just as I did when living and working overseas. I now need to teach online, maintain social distancing and shop differently. But it’s my responsibility to see this now as my choice.

I now realise some things are lessons I need to revisit—sometimes I don’t remember and make the same mistakes. I need to give up control and place trust in God’s ways and timing. Two Bible verses have helped ground me through this time. The first is this statement from Jesus: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23, NLT). The second is this exhortation by Paul: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what the good and acceptable and perfect will of God is” (Romans 12:2, NLT).

We also need to remind each other as believers. The writer of Hebrews tells us to encourage one another daily (see Hebrews 10:25). We need reminding God has our backs. Through this time of adjustment, we can continue to trust Him to teach us, help us hear His voice as we seek His wisdom, and be our strength when we are weak, when we are tempted to take control.