First Aid kit and tips: How to deal with homesickness
Being abroad for an Erasmus program, an internship or as an expatriate, whatever the reasons are why you will be going abroad, it will be a memory that you will never forget. That’s a fact! Going abroad is an opportunity to discover more about yourself. In order to better understand yourself, you have to experience the whole business of going abroad eventhough the experience can be good or bad. But don’t you worry about it, at the end, it will only be a memory! When going abroad you could be moody sometimes (as everybody), It’s like a new beginning, you need to do a lot of things. It goes from some administrative stuff, to finding an accommodation etc… It may be a bit stressful and homesickness may soon catch you! That’s why we would like to discuss this subject with you!
Where does homesickness comes from:
Connection, love, and security are human needs even if some people will pretend that it isn’t important for them. So first thing to understand, it’s not your actual home which causes this feeling of homesickness but the fact that you will be a long way from home which is familiar, stable and comfortable.
Recognize homesickness symptoms.
Homesickness isn’t just missing “home”. Your daily functioning can be impacted by the variety of your feelings and all the side-effects which can appear. By recognizing these symptoms you can figure out why you’re thinking and feeling the way you are and take measurement to cope with this feeling.
- Abnormal behaviours
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Nostalgia
- Anticipate
How to prevent and combat Homesickness
After a while in a foreign country, you might start to develop certain feelings such as anxiety, stress or loneliness. This is the moment you are the most vulnerable for homesickness.
That’s why it’s important to prepare your departure:
- Check what seems to be in your centre of interest in your new place. (Hobby, activity etc..)
- Learn about historical facts and places. (tourism office, museum)
- Join some expat groups to see reviews and be aware of this fact of homesickness!
- Look for some accommodation close to your workplace.
Take a look at this list of practical examples and try them:
- Try Local Food
- Plan a Trip With a Friend From Home
- Keep Up With Your Habits
- Exercise Regularly. Go Outside and Run!
- Get “Adopted”
- Talk to Others About How You’re Feeling
To move on with the accommodation:
An easy way to find the kind of feelings, which are needed for a person’s wellbeing and to adapt more easily to a new place, can be directly linked to your accommodation. Finding the right accomodation should help you get to know people very easily. And who knows, they may become good friends in the end. And since some of them have already arrived before you, they will able to show you around the city. Therefore you will have one less thing to worry about! 😉