Dealing with Homesickness

No matter where you go, who you meet, or what you do, you will at one point or another feel homesick. Everybody experiences homesickness. You miss your family, friends, familiar foods and traditions. Homesickness is a hard emotion to grapple with and can sneak up on you during the most unexpected times. However, it's important to remember that homesickness is temporary and you can get through it. Here are some coping strategies to get you through those rough days.

Get Out

Nothing makes homesickness worse than sitting at in your room alone, thinking about how much you miss home. Going for a walk is a great way to distract yourself from homesickness. There's always something new to discover that will help you forget your longing for home. If you keep yourself occupied enough, you won't have time to think about how much you miss home. Try taking different routes if you go on walks. You will have to focus on where you are and won't be able to dwell on home.

Talk to Friends

If you become friends with other international students, odds are good that they have or will also experience home sickness. Letting others know you are homesick and knowing that you aren't the only one missing home can help make you feel better. Try talking about the specific things you miss from home. Your friends will probably be interested in hearing about a different culture. Listen to what they miss from home too. You're studying abroad to experience new cultures and people, so this is a perfect opportunity to do just that. Also try getting together with friends for a dinner and have everyone make a dish from their homeland. You will feel better eating food that is familiar and you will also get to try delicious food from other countries. If you go abroad with students from your home university, checking in with them once and awhile to talk about things you miss can be helpful. They will understand your longing for familiarity and may miss the same things as you.

Call Home

There's no shame in being homesick and wanting to talk with family and friends. Skyping is a great way to communicate with and see loved ones. Just seeing a parent's face or hearing a friends voice can make those feelings of homesickness disappear. For some people, calling home everyday or every other day is just what they need to feel secure in their new country. However, for some people, calling home too often can make them wish they were home even more. Be aware that if this is the case, it's probably better to call home only once or twice a week and try to handle the homesickness by surrounding yourself with people in your new land.