Why Do We Feel Homesick?

As we grow, we naturally create attachments to things specifically available to that environment. Homesickness happens when we are displaced from a familiar environment and are forced disconnected from what we are used to. This causes anxiety and emotional distress.

It can be a challenge to adjust to a new environment, culture, language, social networks, etc. The initial culture shock and lack of control over what happens around you can cause confusion, loneliness, and anxiety. Our fight-or-flight alarm system can also trigger the body to respond in various ways.

Homesickness Symptoms

The consequences of homesickness can manifest as mild to severe symptoms. There is a potentially incapacitating impact on physical, cognitive, and psychological functioning, which can affect anyone no matter what culture, race, age, and context.

Here are some of the typical symptoms caused by homesickness:

1. Physical
   ・Disruption of sleep and appetite
   ・Increased risk of infection and gastrointestinal issues
   ・High arousal which may lead to physical ailments such as headaches or dizziness
   ・Hormonal changes that suppress the immune system
   
2. Cognitive
   ・The pervasive desire to return home and pessimistic views about the new environment impacts the person’s general behavior and psychological functioning
   
3. Psychological
   ・Depression
   ・Loneliness
   ・Anxiety

The symptoms come as a complex mix of psychological, cognitive, and physical, so it can be difficult to fully recognize that being homesick is the cause of reason.

If you are reading this in preparation for making the move, the post below may help you with what to expect when you go through the change.

4 Ways to Cope With Homesickness

The science on homesickness is typically focused on the cause and symptoms, and there aren’t many documented studies on coping strategies. However, research suggests that mental health counseling, social connections, and achieving a sense of belonging in a new environment, are crucial ingredients in overcoming homesickness.

Here are a few coping ideas that could help this process.

1. Explore Your New Home Area

Staying still will give room for the brain to lament all the wonderful memories back home. So, try to get moving and feed your brain with exciting new information. No matter how much you think you’ve already explored your new home area, there is always more to find. Stay open about it with a fresh mind.

Look up places you’ve never been to or wander around and see where you’re drawn to. Even more, bring a camera to see if you can look at things from a different angle. The stimulation you get from traveling is known to relieve stress, and there’s always a way to find new stimulations as if you were a tourist. Try to go out with a fresh perspective and an adventurous mindset so that you can land upon pleasant surprises and new encounters in the area!

It’s time to start finding things that you love about your new home!

2. A Deeper Connection With Existing Relationships

Moving to a new area doesn’t mean you become estranged from your friends and family. In fact, it can make you closer.

Sure, the relationship you had won’t be the same in the way you communicate because there is distance. However, this is a great time to connect deeper with your loved ones.

You can exchange care packages that consist of pictures and local products gathered while you explored. Long heartfelt hand-written letters and quality phone conversations are highly appreciated in this day and age where loose and impersonal connectivity through social media has become the main way we connect.

Take this as an opportunity to form authentic connections with the people you love, but don’t dwell and spend too much time on your relationships back at home. Set a time to bond with your existing relationships, but at the same time, don’t forget to create a new life that’s based on your local reality.

3. Work on Self-Care and Mental Health

The isolation you feel when you move to a new place can be used to your advantage. It’s an excellent opportunity to work on yourself when there is alone time.

Moving to a new place means that you can rewrite expectations of who you want to become. Try to form reflective habits like journaling or meditating every day. If health is your concern, exercise and practice a healthy balanced diet. On the other hand, daily reading is a great way to nurture knowledge and relax. Perhaps this is the opportunity to invest in a skill you want to learn. So, take the time to create habits that shape the life you want to form.

If homesickness is mentally getting to you, this is a great time to exercise habits that help you achieve mental strength.

Science suggests that mental health counseling is also helpful in combating homesickness. If you need someone to walk through the problems with you, an AI (Artificial Intelligence) can help without any restrictions on time, schedule, or location. It’s an affordable alternative counseling method with a free trial period. Give it a try!
→SELF MIND

4. Build A Connection With People in Your Area

Social connections help us feel fulfilled in our life. As much as you may miss your connections at home, it is important to work towards building a new social landscape.

Try to actively go out and meet new people in your area. If you’re really homesick, it may help to find others who also miss home or are originally from the same area as you. Volunteering, online social platforms, hobby communities, and educational classes are all great places to meet like-minded people. Getting to know someone takes time, so stay optimistic even if you can’t find someone you connect with right away.

As you meet new people, try to keep a record of all the fun things via photos and journaling. It is important to see the progression of the great memories you build to acknowledge the growth you’re going through.

Good Things Take Time

Don’t get discouraged if you can’t meet the right people or can’t adjust to the new lifestyle right away. We all start somewhere to create an environment that we can call our new home. It takes time to learn and adjust to the new culture, people, food, and ways of things.

Try to enjoy the excitement of feeling like an explorer or a newcomer. This is the time to embrace fresh perspectives and inspirations that flow in as an outsider, and to create a new life that we desire!

Reference:

Ferrara, T. (2020). Understanding Homesickness: A Review of the Literature. Journal for Leadership and Instructions, 8–15. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1255848.pdf


Southwick, N. (2021, June 22). 26 Ways to Reduce Homesickness Abroad. Go Overseas. https://www.gooverseas.com/blog/ways-reduce-homesickness-abroad

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Preparing for Your New Life Living Abroad

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) lists social factors as a significant stressor in daily life. Moreover, they categorize them in the following 4 ways:

・Interpersonal relationships
・Separation from or death of a close family member
・Problems at work
・Changes in environment, such as moving houses

On one hand, it is easy to notice the stress caused by relationships, separation from family, and work problems. However, we need to also be careful as our environment changes, because it may cause us to accumulate stress unconsciously. It would be nice if there was someone close by that you could turn to in times of trouble. If not, however, you may find yourself mentally overwhelmed.

Moving to another country is one such way in which your living environment changes significantly. In order to avoid becoming stressed and overwhelmed by the unfamiliarity of living abroad, it is important to prepare in advance and get rid of any anxiety factors. Below are 3 things you can look into at the very least.

Collect Information Before Moving to Another Country

Nowadays, information can be easily obtained through the Internet and social networking sites. It is a good idea to use such information networks to research the kind of place you will be living in.

・Public transportation
・Directions to your new office or school
・Location of supermarkets and restaurants
・Local culture
・Differences in public safety between day and night
・Weather and temperature

Knowing the basic information about local life before moving to another country will help you prepare and avoid stress.

Adapt to Environment Changes through Language

Language is one of the most common causes of stress when moving to another country. Although there are now many translation services and apps available, it is best if you can handle the language yourself. You don’t have to master the language perfectly before you go; in fact, you can study it even after you arrive and get settled in your new location. However, it’s a good idea to have at least the basic phrases and greetings necessary for shopping and getting around. This will help significantly as your environment changes and you are surrounded by a new language.

Before moving to another country, make a habit of carrying a translation app or dictionary with you. Try to learn at least a few words in your free time to broaden your communication. In addition, is also effective to use gestures to communicate when you find yourself in a bind. However, interpretations of different gestures will vary between cultures. It may also be beneficial to familiarize yourself with how the local people use gestures in non-verbal communication. Learning the language is vital in adapting to living abroad as your environment changes.

Saving Money Before Living Abroad

Make sure you have a financial reserve before moving to another country in case you need to make sudden expenses. For example – but not limited to – unexpected happenings and accidents. Sometimes, the stress of living in an unfamiliar environment can affect your physical condition. If this happens, you will need to pay for medical treatment and medication. Furthermore, if the local cost of living is high, the burden will be even greater. It’s also a good idea to have enough savings to cover the cost of a round-trip ticket in case of emergencies.

Having enough money in your pocket will also help you feel more comfortable and safe in starting your new life living abroad.

Your Mental Health with Environment Changes

The longer you plan to stay, the more important it becomes to make sure your mental health is in check. According to a survey of 895 members of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), stress-related ailments – including depression – accounted for about 10% of all injuries and illnesses. Furthermore, the rate of mental stress was particularly high among those who had been working overseas for under a year. Specifically, the causes were “lack of support in work” and “low satisfaction in daily life”. The reality is that these volunteer members often find themselves in areas where the environment is not sufficiently developed. Consequently, this places a heavy mental burden on them. This is something to watch out when you plan on moving to another country.

In addition, the study found that physical and mental ailments tend to appear within six months of living abroad, and decrease significantly after a year. Therefore, it is particularly important to take care of one’s mental health around the six-month mark when living abroad.

Minimizing Stress Through Familiarization

One of the factors that may reduce the burden on the body and mind when living abroad is becoming familiar and acclimated to local life. Through adapting to the changes in environment over the course of a year, the ability to cope and adapt increases.

The following is an example from an interview survey of Japanese ex-pats who had extended experience living abroad. A Japanese woman who worked for a real estate company was transferred to China without confidence in her own work. As a result, she was stressed by the unfamiliarity of living in a small apartment and changes in environment. As she continued to live a simple and frugal life, she gradually became accustomed to it. Eventually, she no longer found it difficult to live. In fact, she eventually married a Chinese man and found herself closely identifying with the local population.

If you live in one place for a long time, you will experience various difficulties and face challenges. However, by overcoming them each time, you will learn how to solve these once-unique challenges. Consequently, you will gain knowledge that will help you feel more relaxed about living abroad. Moreover, the parts of you that did not change will become your identity, leading to a stronger sense of individuality and confidence. By discovering a new self and broadening your horizons through moving to another country, you may find the opportunity for greater growth.

Moving to Another Country is Exciting!

In this way, both physical and mental preparation is extremely important when planning on moving to another country. It is a good idea to prepare as much as possible for unexpected happenings how you will react to them. The more you prepare, the less anxiety and negative thoughts you will have, even as your environment changes rapidly.

It is also important to have a way to relieve stress on the hand. If you have a stress-relieving method that you practice habitually, you may be able to prevent the secondary effects of excessive stress. The following is an example of a simple exercise you could do. Give it a try if you’re interested.

Mental health care is an important matter for overcoming differences in culture, values, and environment, and for stepping up your game when moving to another country. If you are ever thinking of getting a fresh start by living abroad, refer back to this article to help yourself prepare!

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If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

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References:

Abe, Y., Kamiya, H., Nakazawa, T., Kuwatsuka, K., & Yui, Y. (2013). How are Japanese Employees Working in Shanghai and Adapting to Local Community? The Human Geographical Society of Japan Annual Meeting, 118-119. doi: 10.11518/hgeog.2013.0.118.0

Kato, S., Doi, Y., Tsutsui, S., & Makino, M. (2004). Job Stress among Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers: Using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Sangyo Eiseigaku Zasshi, 46(6), 191-200. doi: 10.1539/sangyoeisei.46.191

Katsuyama, H., Nakano, E., Sasaki, J., & Tsuchiya, G. (1993). Issues in Mental Health Care for Overseas Business Travelers. Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Medicine, 33(6), 527-. doi: 10.15064/jjpm.33.6_527_3

Tanaka, M. (2008). How the lnfiuence of Living Abroad Lends for a Greater Sense of Personal Identity: An lnquiry lnformed from the Experience of one Japanese Woman Who Has Lived in the US for over Twenty Years. Tokyo Future University bulletin, 1, 89-99.

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