As we’ve discussed in our previous posts, while failure to launch isn’t an actual diagnostic category, more and more young adults are finding themselves stuck in a metaphorical rut. While many different treatment options are available to help young people who are experiencing a failure to launch, exposure to a novel environment can be extremely effective in helping these individuals.
Exposure to a novel environment, especially another culture, can be extremely helpful in aiding young adults and adolescents living at home to recognize the benefits they have in their own lives.. While people in third-world countries have day-to-day worries, many young adults in America have grown up never worrying about things like having clean drinking water, enough food to eat, or a roof over their heads.
They are more likely to be preoccupied with wearing the right clothing brands or having the latest cell phones and tablets. Exposing a young person to an environment or culture where these concerns seem trivial or meaningless is a great way to exemplify that he or she may need to reassess their priorities.
Some outdoor adventure therapies, sometimes incorrectly confused with wilderness adventure therapy programs, offer an added component of cultural immersion, with a strong emphasis on community outreach and cultural homestays to capitalize on the benefits that exposure to a novel environment can provide. Here are some additional benefits that exposure to a novel environment or another culture can provide.
Cultural Immersion in Third World Countries Can Help Young Adults Living at Home Deal with Entitlement Issues
When a young person feels a sense of entitlement, this can damage his or her work ethic and future independence. This sense of entitlement can make it extremely difficult for young adults to make it through a failure to launch. Exposing entitled young adults and adolescents to an environment where everyone has to work very hard for everything they have is a great way to deal with this sense of entitlement, and prepare adolescents to make their way into the world. This is especially effective if they are also asked to lend a hand and pitch in with community outreach.
Cultural Immersion in Third World Countries Can Help Young Adults Living at Home Gain a New Perspective Through Community Outreach and Cultural Homestays
Aside from helping to deal with entitlement issues, engaging in community outreach activities helps young adults and teens gain a new perspective on life. By helping with even the most basic tasks, such as harvesting food or helping with daily chores, they can explore and strengthen their core values while gaining a deeper appreciation for the simple life.
Young Adults Living at Home Working on Oneself by Helping Others in Third World Countries
By focusing on helping others, young adults develop empathy and compassion. This fosters an appreciation and satisfaction with life, providing young adults and adolescents with a greater sense of meaning.
How Young Adults Can Get Help
Young adults and adolescents facing difficult challenges find it hard to prepare for adulthood and can find themselves stuck in a rut or failure to launch, Each individual’s journey toward independence is different; while some will make the journey independently, others may need a helping hand, guidance, and even a gentle nudge.
To find out more about helping young people living at home achieve their independence, download our free, twelve-page white paper, The Road to Independence Can Be Rough: It’s Okay to Ask for Helpeve their independence, download our free, twelve-page white paper, The Road to Independence Can Be Rough: It’s Okay to Ask for Help
