Studying abroad can be a truly beautiful and transformative experience. After all, you are intentionally putting yourself in a new country, embracing the culture, language, and varying perspectives in the process. There is no thrill like that of exploring a new country or place you have never been to before. And being able to study in such an environment shows how gaining a global education is unmatched. However, along with this excitement, uncomfortable emotions may arise too, such as being homesick.
Homesickness while studying abroad is very common, but that does not mean that it does not feel overwhelming to try to navigate at times. Being away from familiar surroundings, loved ones, and the comfort of home or your college campus is hard, and homesickness is a normal emotional response to have.
Even though homesickness comes with its fair share of challenges, it can also provide an opportunity for personal growth. Coping with the emotional ups and downs that come along with studying abroad can make you more resilient and adaptable- skills that you can utilize in the future time and time again.
If you are looking for tips to deal with homesickness while studying abroad as a college student, continue reading this blog. As you read this article and embrace your new surroundings, you will find a way to balance the beauty of studying abroad with the hardships of homesickness!
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, couples, and families with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
What triggers homesickness?
Homesickness can get triggered by many emotional and environmental factors. Traditionally, homesickness is triggered when you are separated from familiar surroundings and your usual support system, including family members, friends, and a romantic partner, for an extended period of time. However, people can experience homesickness in a variety of situations. Even someone just going for a weekend road trip may find themselves missing their home, children, pet, and so on.
When you are studying abroad, you are making a major life transition. That is to say, it is a big diversion from your usual daily routine and cultural norms. And the physical distance between you and your loved ones only adds more fuel to the metaphoric fire, making you feel disconnected from your usual support network. For support, check out our blog “The Best Ways to Cope with Life Transitions.”
Stress and discomfort are major triggers for homesickness, whether you are struggling to navigate a new city or just having some trouble adjusting to unfamiliar social customs. Read our blog “Everything You Need To Know About Stress Management Therapy” for more information.
When you are studying abroad, major milestones or holidays may also intensify the homesickness you are experiencing. For example, celebrating your birthday overseas can make you feel like you are missing out on special traditions or celebrations.
At home or college, when you experience a challenging period, you have family members and friends there to support you. But, when you are abroad, you may experience a lack of social and emotional support. This can make it even harder to navigate homesickness.
The following are common causes of homesickness:
Major life changes
Physical distance from home
Nostalgia for home
Missing familiar comforts (e.g., your favorite coffee shop, routine, hobbies, etc.)
Personal milestones
Cultural differences
Feelings of disconnection
Lack of social support - “The Impact of the Friendship Recession on Mental Well-Being” is a must-read
Is homesickness just anxiety?
Homesickness is often associated with anxiety, but homesickness is a complex emotional experience that can go beyond anxiety. Anxiety can clearly play a role in homesickness, but homesickness generally includes many emotional and psychological responses when one is separated from an environment that is familiar and comfortable to them.
In addition to anxiety, homesickness may lead you to experience:
Sadness - Read our blog “Sadness vs Depression: When to Get Help” for guidance
Loneliness - Check out our blog “How to Battle the Loneliness Epidemic”
Longing
A sense of disorientation as you adjust to your new environment
These emotions are all coming from the loss of comfort and safety you once experienced, whether at college or at home. You have left behind familiar faces, routines, and places, and you simply need time to adjust to your new normal, or temporary home.
Anxiety can occur within homesickness, typically occurring when you are dealing with the stress that adjusts to moving to a new environment and the uncertainty of navigating unfamiliar situations. For guidance, check out our blog “How to Cope with Moving Stress.”
On top of the already-stressful move, you may feel anxious as a college student. You may be thinking: “How am I supposed to understand a new culture, make new friends, explore the country, and keep my grades up at the same time?”. The anxiety can be triggered by not having your usual support system around. Think about a particularly stressful time in college, such as final exam season. It is likely that you felt stressed out then, but you probably had friends and/or a good support system around you reminding you that you are capable and can handle the stress thrown your way. To learn some effective tips, read our blog “5 Effective Ways to Reduce Stress During Final Exams.”
Having a social support system can make all the difference and, without it, you may be left feeling vulnerable and alone. For support, check out our blog “3 Steps to Becoming More Vulnerable.”
While homesickness includes anxiety, it is not all about anxiety. If you are unsure if you are experiencing anxiety, take our Anxiety Quiz by reading the following blog “Do I Have Anxiety? Take The Quiz and Learn 5 Instant Calming Tips.” If you are struggling with anxiety, check out our blog “Feeling Stressed and Anxious in College? Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Can Help.”
Within homesickness, there is a strong presence of nostalgia, a longing for the past or a sense of comfort, such as your home. This can often be registered by your brain as a sense of loss, even making you feel sad or depressed, as you reflect on the things you miss about domestic life, like your routine, family, friends, specific places, and so on.
It is also normal to fluctuate between periods of excitement with exploring a new place, and times of homesickness where you are being challenged by being away from home. Anxiety can be a key component of homesickness, but it is not the only emotional experience at play.
While it is likely that you will know if you are experiencing homesickness or not, try asking yourself the following questions to gauge your emotions regarding the living transition:
Even when I am with other students or locals, do I feel isolated or disconnected?
Am I constantly comparing my experiences abroad to life at home, feeling dissatisfied and empty?
Am I having difficulty adjusting to the new country, language, culture, and social norms?
Do I look forward to returning home so much that it is ruining the time I am currently spending abroad?
Have I struggled to form meaningful connections with new people in this environment?
Am I missing familiar routines (e.g., meals, celebrations, hobbies, etc.)?
Do I avoid participating in activities due to my feelings of homesickness or discomfort?
Am I experiencing stress or frustration due to unknown academic or social expectations in the new country?
How to overcome homesickness abroad as a college student
While it may seem impossible at times, you can overcome the homesickness you are experiencing by prioritizing self-care and employing proactive strategies.
The first and one of the most impactful ways to overcome homesickness is to make connections with new people, whether that be by immersing yourself in your new community or bonding with your fellow students.
You can try in engaging in one or more of the following to create a sense of belonging and ease feelings of isolation:
Join a student organization or club
Attend campus events
Participate in local community activities
Join study groups
Take part in language exchange programs
Engage in social media groups or online forums
Participate in sports or fitness classes
Attend cultural or social mixers
While this one may seem counterintuitive, do not be afraid to reach out to your family members and friends back home. For some people, they like to make the transition of studying abroad without talking to their loved ones back home too much. For others, they really rely on their loved ones to get them through this transition, especially the initial part of it.
That is to say, you have to figure out what works for you. You may take comfort in knowing that mom and dad are only a phone call away. Or, you may want to throw yourself into the new culture and activities available to you to get your mind off of home. Regardless, it is healthy to maintain regular communication with your loved ones back home as they can be a source of emotional support and reassurance. This helps bridge the gap between familiar comforts and new experiences.
Just because you are studying abroad does not mean that you have to lose every sense of who you are as a person. Try to incorporate some elements of your life back home into your life abroad. For example, if you cook the same dinner of tacos every Tuesday when you are home, do that while you are in a new country too. Maybe you go to a yoga studio near campus a few days a week and, now, you can explore the yoga studios in your new setting. Continuing these traditions can bring a lot of comfort.
It is also helpful to set small, achievable goals. For example, maybe you are an art lover, and you make a goal to visit one new museum each week while you are abroad. According to the Center for Brain Health, scientists have reported that setting and achieving goals can increase levels of dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone, in your brain.
One of the best ways to cope with stress and life transitions is by practicing self care.
Here are some examples of self-care activities you may engage in:
Relaxation techniques
Journaling
Meditating (Check out our blog “How Meditation Can Lead to Stress Reduction”)
Breathwork exercises (Read our blog “5 Breathwork Techniques to Decrease Anxiety”)
Setting boundaries (Our blog “6 Ways to Set Boundaries and Enforce Them”)
Well-balanced eating (Read our blog “Cultivating Good Mental Health for Intuitive Eating”)
Regular exercise (To learn more, check out our blog “5 Ways Exercise Benefits Your Mental Health”)
Carving out time for your hobbies and interests
Mindfulness
Self-care is a great way to address the emotional and physical obstacles of homesickness in adjusting to school and life abroad. Regularly engaging in self-care adds to your emotional stability, making you feel more grounded and capable of taking full advantage of the amazing experience of international study! For guidance, check out our blog “The 8 Forms of Self-Care and How You Can Practice Them.”
Virtual Therapy for Homesickness
Working with an online therapist at Anchor Therapy can be an effective tool in helping you overcome homesickness as a college student. Living abroad, it may be hard to access in-person counseling services, but virtual therapy makes support and guidance accessible no matter where you are.
The convenience and flexibility of online counseling is appealing to many college students, especially those who are temporarily studying abroad. A virtual mental health counselor will be able to work with your schedule and time zone so you can find a way to make therapy a part of your very busy social and academic life.
The ups and downs of studying abroad are inevitable, and teletherapy can be a consistent source of support for you. You can adjust to the new environment and culture around you while staying connected with a source of consistent support, your licensed psychotherapist.
A virtual counselor will provide practical, evidence-based practical strategies for managing homesickness, from mindfulness exercises to personalized coping mechanisms that you can weave into your daily routine.
Therapy, whether in-person or online, is a safe space to explore the feelings and experiences related to the homesickness you are facing. You can expect to pinpoint what your triggers are, label and process your emotions, and build resilience in mental health counseling sessions.
The following are benefits of online therapy for homesickness:
Accessibility
Continuity of care
Convenience
Emotional exploration
Coping strategies
Comfort and privacy
Connection to resources
Flexibility in communication
Addressing your homesickness through therapy is one way to adapt and thrive when studying abroad. Gaining the tools and support you need can make studying abroad that much more of a meaningful experience.
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager, Intake Coordinator, and Community Engagement Director at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark and is currently studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the graduate level. In her roles, Victoria is committed to managing the office’s social media/community presence and prioritizing clients' needs.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR HELP FROM A PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR TO ASSIST YOU IN MAKING POSITIVE CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE, CONTACT US
WORKING WITH US IS EASY
Fill out the contact form below.
Our intake coordinator will get back to you with more information on how we can help and to schedule an appointment. We will set you up with an experienced licensed therapist who specializes in what you're seeking help with and who understands your needs.
You’ll rest easy tonight knowing you made the first step to improve your life.
