How to deal with homesickness abroad

Feeling homesick while living abroad is a common yet difficult situation for almost everyone. What should one do to feel better while visiting the home regularly feels like an impossibility? In this article, we will talk in detail about how to deal with homesickness while living abroad.

Homesickness is actually feeling distressed and unrest in a foreign place, while some people refer to it as an acute form of anxiety. While feeling homesick, people generally feel distressed because they cannot see familiar people and places, and all of this results in feeling sad for home.

Homesickness can arise from numerous factors. These factors include finding it difficult to adjust to a new environment, feelings of loneliness, new places, new culture, or not having familiar surroundings. Homesickness is a feeling that cannot go overnight, as it demands a lot of effort and work to get rid of it. There are times when a person feels that it is almost impossible to overcome it, but the reality is far from that. International students especially feel homesick in Australia because of the loss of contact with their families. On top of that, they feel social loneliness because they don’t have any friends in the new country. According to the research Loneliness and International Students: An Australian Study, students also feel cultural loneliness and linguistic loneliness too because they aren’t accustomed to the culture and language of the new country.

Ways to deal with homesickness:

Although everyone might have their way of handling things, there are some effective ways to deal with homesickness. The techniques mentioned below are tried and tested by many international students and have allowed them to overcome their feelings of homesickness. Here is a list of some techniques if you are trying to deal with homesickness while living abroad.

Create a discovery list

Consider doing a little research on where you live and the places you haven’t yet explored. Taking some time off from studies or work and visiting those places will take your mind off thinking about your home and feel much better. Make a list of those places which you want to visit or indulge yourself in some healthy activities. This will allow you to do interesting things and help you stay focused on new adventures rather than longing for home.

Turn your new place to home

There are ways that you can adopt if you want to feel like you are at home. Consider decorating your room in a way just like it was at home. Consider spending money on little trees, a similar blanket, or buying paintings for your room. Creating a comfortable environment for yourself will make you feel much better.

Make new friends

If you are missing your home just because you miss your friends, the first thing that you should do is avoid excessive contact with your friends at home. Rather you should pursue your new goals and make some friends at university or at work. This will help you feel much better, and after a while, you will stop thinking about home and start focusing on your studies and career.

Join sports club

As discussed earlier, homesickness is an acute form of anxiety, and the only way to counter it is by keeping yourself physically active and having a sharp mind. To do so, get yourself involved in extracurricular activities such as sports. Taking part in sports or joining a sports club will help you in gaining more focus and you will be relaxed, while the feelings of homesickness will start fading eventually.

Try contacting friends or relatives in Australia

If you have any friends or relatives living in Australia, consider contacting them if you feel homesick. Even if you don’t have any family member, relative or friend here in Australia, consider finding an individual that is from your country and talking to the person. This will eventually help you develop self-confidence, and you will feel much more powerful while countering the feelings of homesickness.

Make friends with co-workers after landing a job

Making friends and going out with them is always a great idea, that is why it is recommended that after you have landed a job, or when you get hired by a company, you should consider making friends with your co-workers. Mingling with co-workers and talking to them about work and other related things will take your mind off from thinking about home, and you will feel more relaxed.

Temporarily put aside social media if you need to

Social media is a blessing, as it allows you to connect with people and helps keep track of what everyone else is doing. But this can become a menace when you are abroad and feeling sick, and all you can see is your friends and families reuniting and other related updates, especially for the first year of arriving in Australia. Instead of keeping track of everyone, consider investing your time in doing something positive.

Join your community’s Facebook group in Australia

If you can’t keep your hands off your cell phone, then it is recommended that you should consider joining your community’s Facebook group in Australia. Get acquainted with people in the group, and if there is an event happening nearby where people from your country will participate, then you should too. This will help you in countering the feelings of homesickness, as you will see familiar faces and will eventually start feeling better.

Start thinking positively

Positivity is the key to everything. If you are visiting Australia for studies or work, then you don’t have to think about home; rather, you should stay positive and focus on your goals. Homesickness is a natural thing, and almost everyone can feel homesick every now and then, but the only way to counter is to avoid negative thoughts and follow all the above-mentioned steps. Think positive and then wait for the positive things to happen.

Bottom line

Moving to a new country and getting yourself adjusted to the new environment isn’t an easy task. It is quite difficult for a person to move to a new country and not feel homesick. Therefore, it is recommended that you shouldn’t confine yourself in a room if you are feeling homesick and follow all the above-mentioned tips. These are tried and tested techniques and will work for you too.