Being homesick is more common than most people would admit. Very often, those of us living abroad are bitten by the homesickness bug. Mohita Saxena tells you how to cope.
Homesickness means an acute longing for one’s family or home. For some, it might come as a natural outcome of moving to a new surrounding and fade away eventually; while for others, it might start as an apprehension and last into a prolonged state of depression. Almost all of us have our shares of homesickness blues, either mild or strong while living abroad. However, overcoming homesickness requires thorough mental preparation and determination.
To battle out the pangs of homesickness, you need to convince yourself to live in the present. No matter how strongly the past might evoke a longing to be lived back, you need to keep moving forward, literally and metaphorically. Keep yourself motivated to get out of the cocoon of your motherland memories and face reality head on.
Embracing the new place with all that it has to offer is most likely to be your only resort. So, try and make the most of it. Go out, explore, make friends, and create fresh memories. Make sincere efforts to acclimatize yourself with the place. If possible, try and fall in love with your new surroundings with fresh zeal and enthusiasm. Don’t let nostalgia ruin your ties with the new place. Indulge yourself in culinary habits akin to the place. Food is a great way of bonding with a new place and its culture. So look forward to some great food and good company to brighten up your stay abroad.
Reconnect with your folks back home at regular intervals to keep your spirits high. Bond over Skype, phone calls, photo albums, emails, social network websites or even letters, if circumstances permit. If possible, discover and interact with people of your mother country stationed abroad just as you. Share your bottled-up emotions and savour home ties with them. It would certainly work wonders in helping you get through homesickness.
Maintain a diary and write out your daily encounters and pent-up feelings. This way, you will feel light and rejuvenated. Even if this doesn’t work, talk to someone about how you feel. Get your homesickness thoughts out of your head, only then you will be in a position to observe and appreciate anything and everything that your new surroundings have to offer.
Besides these, do not overlook your sleep hours and dietary intake, else the exhaustion and restlessness might take a toll on your physical and mental health. Keep up a positive attitude about what this time abroad means to you and your loved ones. Give yourself time to adjust and adapt. Remember, transition doesn’t happen overnight. Hence, relax and let time and happiness wash over you.
You never know, with time, your new place might fit you like a glove. So, cheers to a new beginning!