How to Get Rid of Homesickness

Enjoy the freedom., Insist on a positive mentality., Find alternatives to hometown comforts., Set specific days to contact home., Have some comforting possessions around., Write an old-fashioned letter!, Have something to look forward to.

7 Steps 4 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Enjoy the freedom.

    This may sound like terrible advice, but enjoying yourself is the best way to get rid of homesickness.

    Moving somewhere new offers you the chance to choose how you want to spend your free time.

    Focus on yourself; it’s important to do every once and a while, and being somewhere new provides the perfect opportunity to do so.

    Tricks to enjoying the solitary life include:
    Exercise.

    Get your heart rate up every day, however you prefer to do so.

    Jogging is a great way to see your new neighborhood from a personal perspective.

    This will teach you about your new environment and make you feel more comfortable.

    Carry something to keep you occupied.

    If you keep a journal, always have it with you.

    Or, carry a book or magazine.

    Reading and writing are great ways to both occupy your mind and express your thoughts.

    Do that thing you’ve always wanted to do.

    Skydive.

    Or, if it’s more your pace, go to an art museum.

    Think back to the last time you thought to yourself, “I’d like to try that.” Whatever it was, here’s your chance!
  2. Step 2: Insist on a positive mentality.

    Don’t confuse being alone in a new place with automatic loneliness.

    There’s no rule that states being alone means you must feel lonely.

    Remind yourself of this, out loud if you have to.

    Other helpful things to tell yourself include:
    My time alone is only temporary.

    I may want to be somewhere else today, but it will get better here.

    Everybody feels lonely from time to time.

    I am strong and creative enough to handle some time alone.

    There are people in the world that care about me, however far away.

    I’m hanging out with myself right now, and that’s probably something I should do from time to time. , If you’re missing the familiarity of your favorite coffee shop back home, or are worried about how to find a mechanic you can trust, reflect what it was about those places you liked.

    Go out and find comparable versions of these places in the city where you live now.

    Searching for something like a new favorite coffee shop will make it more apparent what sorts of space you enjoy to be in.

    For instance, you may realize that natural lighting is really what you need to focus, and the coffee shops you had been going to since you moved were darker than you were used to.

    If you find a sunny, well-lit place with a similar ambiance to the spot you miss, you may end up with a new favorite.

    Plus, the search will facilitate meeting a bunch of baristas (who can be great sources of local knowledge) and seeing a few new neighborhoods! Recognize that finding comfort living in a new city requires a lot of knowledge about that place.

    Explore and expose yourself to what your new city has to offer – including the countless new exercise opportunities, restaurants, nightlife options, and public transit systems.

    You’ll find yourself comparing these to those you’re used to.

    This will increase your comfort in your new city and provide you with equivalents of the places you had most enjoyed in your previous home town. , Plan a particular day, once a week, to call home.

    While this may feel like it is not enough, it will give you the time and space to start developing new social connections in your new environment., If only subconsciously, reminders of the places and people you miss will put you more at ease.Even if reminders of home come with a twang of longing, your comfort with familiar items will make you more comfortable where you are now.

    Place photos of friends and family or items that were in your room back home in places you’ll see them frequently. , Write to an old friend that you haven’t spoken with in a while.

    It will be deeply meaningful to the recipient, and you’ll be surprised by how much you enjoy the process of writing a letter by hand.

    If a friend is willing, commit to writing back and forth.

    One letter a month will keep you in touch, establish a way to get your thoughts on paper, and give you something to look forward to receiving. , Looking forward to something helps keep you in a positive frame of mind.

    If you’re missing home with particular potency and are able to visit, plan a trip in advance.

    This will calm you down in the meantime, give you something to look forward to, and supply you with a dose of home itself.
  3. Step 3: Find alternatives to hometown comforts.

  4. Step 4: Set specific days to contact home.

  5. Step 5: Have some comforting possessions around.

  6. Step 6: Write an old-fashioned letter!

  7. Step 7: Have something to look forward to.

Detailed Guide

This may sound like terrible advice, but enjoying yourself is the best way to get rid of homesickness.

Moving somewhere new offers you the chance to choose how you want to spend your free time.

Focus on yourself; it’s important to do every once and a while, and being somewhere new provides the perfect opportunity to do so.

Tricks to enjoying the solitary life include:
Exercise.

Get your heart rate up every day, however you prefer to do so.

Jogging is a great way to see your new neighborhood from a personal perspective.

This will teach you about your new environment and make you feel more comfortable.

Carry something to keep you occupied.

If you keep a journal, always have it with you.

Or, carry a book or magazine.

Reading and writing are great ways to both occupy your mind and express your thoughts.

Do that thing you’ve always wanted to do.

Skydive.

Or, if it’s more your pace, go to an art museum.

Think back to the last time you thought to yourself, “I’d like to try that.” Whatever it was, here’s your chance!

Don’t confuse being alone in a new place with automatic loneliness.

There’s no rule that states being alone means you must feel lonely.

Remind yourself of this, out loud if you have to.

Other helpful things to tell yourself include:
My time alone is only temporary.

I may want to be somewhere else today, but it will get better here.

Everybody feels lonely from time to time.

I am strong and creative enough to handle some time alone.

There are people in the world that care about me, however far away.

I’m hanging out with myself right now, and that’s probably something I should do from time to time. , If you’re missing the familiarity of your favorite coffee shop back home, or are worried about how to find a mechanic you can trust, reflect what it was about those places you liked.

Go out and find comparable versions of these places in the city where you live now.

Searching for something like a new favorite coffee shop will make it more apparent what sorts of space you enjoy to be in.

For instance, you may realize that natural lighting is really what you need to focus, and the coffee shops you had been going to since you moved were darker than you were used to.

If you find a sunny, well-lit place with a similar ambiance to the spot you miss, you may end up with a new favorite.

Plus, the search will facilitate meeting a bunch of baristas (who can be great sources of local knowledge) and seeing a few new neighborhoods! Recognize that finding comfort living in a new city requires a lot of knowledge about that place.

Explore and expose yourself to what your new city has to offer – including the countless new exercise opportunities, restaurants, nightlife options, and public transit systems.

You’ll find yourself comparing these to those you’re used to.

This will increase your comfort in your new city and provide you with equivalents of the places you had most enjoyed in your previous home town. , Plan a particular day, once a week, to call home.

While this may feel like it is not enough, it will give you the time and space to start developing new social connections in your new environment., If only subconsciously, reminders of the places and people you miss will put you more at ease.Even if reminders of home come with a twang of longing, your comfort with familiar items will make you more comfortable where you are now.

Place photos of friends and family or items that were in your room back home in places you’ll see them frequently. , Write to an old friend that you haven’t spoken with in a while.

It will be deeply meaningful to the recipient, and you’ll be surprised by how much you enjoy the process of writing a letter by hand.

If a friend is willing, commit to writing back and forth.

One letter a month will keep you in touch, establish a way to get your thoughts on paper, and give you something to look forward to receiving. , Looking forward to something helps keep you in a positive frame of mind.

If you’re missing home with particular potency and are able to visit, plan a trip in advance.

This will calm you down in the meantime, give you something to look forward to, and supply you with a dose of home itself.

About the Author

A

Amber West

A passionate writer with expertise in crafts topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.

75 articles
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