Tips to Cope with homesickeness!
During a language travel abroad, you are away from home, from family, from friends.
Sometimes, you can feel as lost and have a strange feeling, which is called homesickness. Homesickness is when you miss your own country and family. Its different from culture shock. Here are some advices to cope with homesickness!
- Recognize honestly that you feel homesick. Try to understand why, and what could make you happier!
- If you are missing someone in your home country, try to find a way not to think of that person all day long. For example, establish regular time for emailing or phone to each other. You wont be obsessed by missing a call or an email!
- If you are missing something, for example, a kind of food, you may try to discover a local equivalent, or maybe buy it online or in a specialized store!
- If you are in a program with other students, try to get involved in their activities. Dont withdraw into yourself, try to be open-minded. Yes, it will cost you a lot at first. But it will be rewarding. And no one will take this first step for you!
- Speak about it with someone. Explain your feelings, why they are such. Maybe the other participants feel a bit homesick too but dont want to admit it. Maybe it will relieve them to have a confident too!
- Organize a discover my culture party or event! Cook food from your country, explain your traditions You can launch a new customs with the other participants, and each week one of you will help the others discover his country!
- Don´t be too demanding towards yourself. It is likely you wont be always dressed the right way, popular But take it with a touch of humour!
- Realize that you are living a unique, once in a lifetime experience, and try to take the most out of it, at your own level at least!
- Take familiar things with you! Whether it is a teddy bear, a picture of your family/pet or your favourite mug, these little things can help you feel better!
- Take time to adjust to the local country and accept punctual homesickness. Especially if you are abroad for a long stay, you will likely be homesick from time to time. It can be relieving to let yourself being sad from a short time, but following the previous tips will help you overwhelming this feeling and get back on feet quickly!
I hope these tips will be helpful during your language travel abroad!
Did you ever experienced homesickness?
Do you have tips against homesickness to share with the other readers?
Don´t hesitate to let us a comment!