Missing Home When I'm Wandering, Do This To Overcome Homesick

Illustration (FG Trade/Pexels)

JAKARTA - Homesick is a moment that describes the situation of someone who moves far away and misses the atmosphere of home. Feeling homesick is natural, especially for those of you who have lived at home for a long time and are very comfortable with the city you previously lived in.

For those of you who are experiencing this, there is no need to be afraid to try new things when living overseas. Here are six tips for dealing with homesickness that VOI adapted from Choosing Therapy, Wednesday, April 27. Hopefully it can be useful and make you feel calmer.

Realize this is a normal feeling

Homesick can cause a variety of emotions such as sadness, worry, and anger. All these reactions are normal. Never try to deny it because you will only get more and more entangled in feelings of uncertainty. Instead of judging yourself for feeling homesick, rest assured that at some point, these feelings will go away.

Mindfulness practices and meditation can be effective ways to practice self-acceptance and tolerance for emotions. You can try one of these exercises by taking a class, listening to a recording, or practicing on your own by sitting quietly and observing your emotions without judgment.

Explore new areas around

Dare to step out of your comfort zone is a big step in adjusting to a new environment. It may seem daunting, but it is necessary to do so so that you can move forward. Consider finding a place, activity, or group that interests you. Do something you enjoy doing while still at home. Trying to get used to a new area will help you grow more comfortable.

Get busy

Busy and tiring activities can make you focus on the work at hand. Therefore, looking for a busy life can make you more focused on a new life and indirectly not thinking about the people at home.

Homesick (Patri/Unsplash)

Save things that remind you of home

Objects such as photos, blankets, or dolls can help relieve the discomfort of homesickness. These items serve as a source of comfort, making it easier to be in a new environment. Therapists call these "transition objects." Pick one or more items that you associate with your home and keep them close to you when you're feeling down.

Share with friends

Your friends are the closest people to you when you are away from home. So that you don't remember the atmosphere at home, you can try to make time for quality time with your closest friends, such as traveling, looking for new hobbies and sharing the atmosphere together.

Save old memories and create new ones

When in a new environment, the old life will slowly disappear. You will try various ways to revive this memory. Retaining old memories does help. But it's important that you create new memories. Creating a new memory in a new place is a moving on process. You'll realize you've made the steps to recovering from homesickness when you can save old memories and create new ones.