8 Steps to Overcome Feeling Homesick Abroad

Feeling homesick is often a faithful companion of expat life… There are so many things you treasure that you’ve left behind, in your home country or a previous destination. The food, traditions, weather, being able to speak in your native tongue, healthcare, public services and, of course, your loved ones.

I feel you. And so let me outline 8 STEPS to overcome homesickness. (To make this a little more fun, the 8 points spell out homesick so that you can easily remember them!)

Home Sweet Home

Do you like coming ‘home’ to your current address? Just because you may not live there forever does not mean you can’t and shouldn’t invest in making the place cozy and welcoming.

Even if you’re renting a furnished house, you can still move stuff around and arrange it differently, placing some additional, personal touches here and there.

You might even want to research and apply Feng Shui techniques for an optimal energy flow.

Make sure there is at least one feel-good-spot that you feel drawn to. A place where you enjoy sitting down with your favorite beverage, where you feel inspired to work, or from where you call up your loved ones.

Personally, I’m a huge fan of having fresh flowers around the house – that makes me feel very much “at home”.

Once you’ve cozied up the place, the mood and energy of your physical home, you will feel so much better and peaceful there emotionally. (Oh, and your whole family will appreciate it, too!)

 

Optimism

I know it’s hard to see the glass half full when it’s so clearly half empty, right!? And yet, Optimism and constructive thinking are muscles you can train and strengthen. This is important for everyone, but particularly for Expat Women.

Have a look at my article on the Counter-Thought Excercise (click here), a powerful mind training that will help you grow more resourceful and constructive.

While it’s totally normal for expat women to feel homesick, we don’t want this feeling to take control over you. There’s a reason you moved abroad and there’s a higher purpose in you living there. What could that be for you?

Monotony Be Gone

Monotony is a killer of joy and creativity and therefore has to be eliminated! If you don’t find your current daily routine inspiring, it’s time to think about how to change that:

• What’s missing in the way you spend your days? And how can you add more of that?
• Which of the things you do day in day out are simply not working for you, draining your energy?
• How could you make your daily tasks and chores more exciting?

I dare you to come up with 100 answers to the above questions 😉 Way to elevate your expat life!

Engage

… in meaningful activities, that grant you a feeling of purpose, significance and accomplishment. It’s not enough to just be occupied – whether that’s at a job you’re over-qualified for, or going from Zumba to Pilates and back.

You need to feel like you’re making a difference in some way, that what you do is meaningful and feel good about your achievements at the end of the week.

If you lack that, you run the risk of developing Boreout, a disorder caused by chronic mental underload that leads to a persistent lack of motivation and interest, to frustration, lethargy and in some cases even depression.

• Read my article in Global Living Magazine about how it can affect Expat Wives and others
  
  or
  
  
• Listen to my Podcast Episode about Boreout here. 

Socialize

Few things beat the power of friendships, of connecting to people, or having a heart to heart talk with someone you care about…

When you move abroad you have to be open-minded when meeting new people. Don’t be too selective or hold them to the standards of friends in a previous country. If you give others the benefit of the doubt and a chance and get to know them, you might be surprised!

Also, check out my guide for how to make friends and build a network abroad. 
Or listen to my Podcast Episode about this topic.

Investigate

Have you already researched all the places worth seeing in your new area? Where could you spend next Sunday and where could you be taking your next trip to? What restaurant might you go to for your next date night? What activities could you sign your kids up for?

There’s so much to research and investigate in a new country – you can even combine this task with socializing, by asking locals and expats for their advice. A great way to break the ice… 😉

Of course, you could also spend this investigation time researching business ideas, courses and so forth. Expat life brings new adventures and opportunities into your orbit – don’t miss them!

Coaching

If you’re struggling with your life abroad, a professional coach can be of tremendous help to you.

In contrast to a good friend, a coach will listen to you profoundly, with no agenda other than to understand what you are going through and what you need to feel better, providing you with the tools, strategies and skills to get you there.

While there are commonalities, every person and every situation is unique so there is no one fit solution for everyone – what matters is to find yours!

A coach will be by your side and guide you towards your goals and hold you accountable on your way to getting there. 

Would you like to experience the magic of Coaching?
Schedule a complimentary Clarity Session with me here.

Keep in touch

Last but not least, make sure to stay in regular contact with folks back home! Schedule your dates with them and choose video and audio over messages, if possible. Even if they can’t fully relate to your new life, tell them about it, and make sure you take interest in their lives (even if they themselves consider them “ordinary” in comparison to yours). Insist and ask questions, you want to be among the people they can count on to share their problems, even though you’re far away.

Maintaining your connections back home will provide you with a sense of belonging and roots, which can keep you grounded in difficult and lonely times abroad.

However: You also want to be present in your host country, so don’t close yourself off to new friendships, even though they may take some time to blossom. 

 

I sincerely hope these tips will help you to feel better when homesickness strikes!

Just remember:
Home Sweet Home
Optimism
Monotony Be Gone
Engage
Socialize
Investigate
Coaching
Keep in Touch

What do you do feel better? Drop me a comment below and let me know!