With everything happening these days, it’s very common to feel homesick. But it definitely is better than getting sick, so stay put, and give your self a break! We international students—about 642,000 of us, if that number helps—can’t just easily return home due to travel restrictions in place during this pandemic, so missing your mom’s cooking or endless talks with friends in your local language is unavoidable.
But don’t let the blues take over for too long. When you’re ready, get out of bed, take a nice hot shower, and check out these things you can do to ease some of that homesickness out of your system.
Stay connected
Keep moving
Focus on the here and now
Fight the right forms of distraction
Stay positive
01. Stay connected
Take advantage of technology! You have Skype, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber, QQ, and many other ways to stay in touch with family or friends back in your homeland.
People all over the world are being encouraged to stay at home as each country battles the virus, so your loved ones are most likely often at home, giving you more time to share moments with each other.
You can set a schedule each day for a video call, and instead of just talking and catching up them, you can do different activities together like cooking your favourite dish or working out together.
02. Keep moving
Movement always helps, whether that’s by exercising, which can bring about a surge in endorphins to help you feel positive, or simply doing anything besides burying yourself all day in bed.
Build a routine by creating a schedule for each day where you can write down specific activities for each hour. Whether that’s stepping out for a cup of coffee at 2:00 pm, going for a jog at 7:00 am, or cooking dinner at 6:00 pm, establishing a structure each day can help ward off homesickness.
Since we’re in the middle of summer, outdoor activities are great mood boosters, so get a few friends and have a picnic in the park or explore an easy hiking trail. Better yet, find a part time job or check out the extracurricular activities your uni may have lined up for international students.
03. Focus on the here and now
Focus and remember why you’re here: for most of us, we’re here because we want to stay here for good. You may have more reasons for coming here, so I suggest you list those down to motivate yourself to stay positive about the present, no matter how hard it is given the circumstances.
Embrace your new home by exploring the city (safely, of course) and look for bits of your homeland wherever you go. Thankfully, Canada is a culturally diverse place that can make anyone feel welcome.
We can relax knowing that we can find our favourite dish at a nearby restaurant serving food from our home country. For those who feel at home when their spirits are at ease, places of worship are easily accessible for every religion where you can seek refuge from all the external chaos that’s happening now. If you’re getting the munchies and want your childhood snack, there’s probably a retail store at the next neighbourhood selling imported goods from your home country.
And don’t forget to do these activities with your uni friends and meet new ones along the way! Not only will you help each other get through the homesickness blues but you’ll also be reminding each other to stay focused on your academic and career goals.
04. Find the right forms of distraction
Think about why you’re feeling homesick. Most likely, it’s because you’ve been scrolling through social media and hadn’t realized you’ve been glued to your screen for almost the entire day.
Seeing photos of other people happily spending time with their own families will only make you miss them more. Also, seeing other posts of people in their picture-perfect lives on social media can add feelings of insecurity, especially if you’ve been dealing with homesickness for days and are feeling a bit like a loser. But be realistic, and remember that social media is merely a curated version of reality.
So first, put your phone down. Instead, go and do something you know will make you feel happy, like going for a run around your neighbourhood you haven’t explored yet, tidying up your room or changing the furniture arrangement to your preference, learning a new skill online, or cooking a new dish for the first time.
05. Stay positive
I know times are difficult now, but remember that your homesickness is only temporary. A couple of months from now, you’ll look back at this time in your life and just laugh at how funny you must have looked crying while hugging your childhood stuffed toy as you Skyped with your parents.
It also helps a lot to share how you’re feeling with other people, like your friends who may also be feeling the same way, an organization for international students in your university, a group for people your age at your local church, or professional organizations who can support you through this time.
Good luck! I’m sure you can get through this. If you're an international student and have other suggestions on how to combat homesickness, please let me know to help out a fellow international student. Contact instudease@gmail.com.
Comments