How to Deal with Homesickness While Studying Abroad

Studying abroad is a rewarding yet challenging experience. International students begin to rely on themselves for all their chores, time management and care. Juggling it all with the academic pressures could be tough, could it not? Living away from your dear ones and not being about to catch a break. While the experience reaps several benefits, it is important to first adjust to your surroundings to fully accept them. At the same time, living it like one big party or vacation would slip grades. In effect, it could have some serious repercussions on your future. You need to find a balance. A balance amidst the chaos you feel around. And with this blog, we will help you attain just that.

Stay Connected to Your Roots

The best way to deal with homesickness is to stay connected with your previous self. Keep good connections with family and friends; write letters or do video calls when you can. Homesickness is often built up by the physical distance between you and your loved ones. Keeping in touch will make the heart feel closer. You can further make yourself feel at home. Prepare your favourite homemade dish. Watch the shows you watched together. Or continue with the gym routine. Keep up the habits you maintained in your hometown. Stay connected to the version of you that felt at ease, you can find an easy way out of your discomfort.

Eat Sleep Exercise

Exercising has many benefits. Apart from the obvious ones, sports centres and gyms are a great place to make new friends. Not to mention, it will take your mind off things. During your time abroad, you will solely be responsible for your physical and medical health. While there will be help and guidance from the university, the responsibility is still yours. Feeling sad is no excuse to eat a whole pizza with Coke or sleeping through the day. It doesn’t make you feel better. If anything, fast food accelerates stress. Like we said, stop watching too much Netflix! Maintaining a healthy diet, sleep and workout routine will be the pillars of your experience. Introduce fresh vegetables and fruits to your meals. It all comes down to how well you are able to soak in everything that foreign education has to offer.

Read more: Maintain Mental & Physical Wellbeing while Studying Abroad

Establish a Routine 

Reserving your thoughts with a strict routine can significantly improve your mood. The academic pressure coupled with the attempt to make friends and attend university events will take up most of your time. Establishing a routine would help you not only manage your time but also allocate some for self-care and things you like. Schedule a daily or weekly routine and set your student life in motion. Include trips, outings with friends, watching or playing sports, etc. At the same time, make sure that the routine doesn’t exhaust you. Speaking of mental exhaustion, avoid social media and hours spent binge-watching on Netflix. It plants depression and mental exhaustion and disturbs sleep routine. Instead, go out and get some fresh air. More often than not, the weather would be quite supportive too.

Make some Travel Plans

Whichever study destination you choose, you will have various options of sights to explore. From beaches to mountains, from art exhibits to clubs, from beautiful landscapes to historical monuments. The options are endless. And so is the possibility to learn, witness or indulge in something new every other day. For instance, let’s say your course is 1 year long. If you plan to visit one place every Saturday and imprint every detail, every piece of information and every inch of it in your mind, you will have visited at least 53 places. Most don’t explore that much in their lifetime.

Ask a friend to come along or go by yourself. Exploring is more fun with locals or someone you can share your thoughts with. Either way, you will have something to look out for every week. Your mind will grow size learning about different cultures, architecture, history, food and so much more. Not only that, you will begin to hear your thoughts louder. Plus, you have a new story to tell your friends back at home!

Read more: Safety Tips for Students Traveling Alone in Foreign Country

Learn Something New

Studying abroad provides a golden opportunity to learn something new. Cities in India don’t have many regular options to maintain creativity habits. But in your new place, you have a chance to find what you like. Take a new class every now and then. One invests so much to study in a foreign country. Why should you not make the most out of your time? Join cultural groups, volunteer groups or classes. You can learn a new language or how to cook, play the cello, diving or perhaps a form of dance! It is okay to get laughed at. If and when, laugh along. Being a beginner is nothing to be embarrassed about. Regardless, it is not like we want to become Prabhu Deva with our dance classes. We just want to have some fun!

Build a New Circle

Take a few days to adjust. Or a week. When you have had enough rest and built your thoughts, it is time to build a new life. Studying abroad offers so many exciting experiences. Go out there and make new friends. Initiate conversations and see what others like. Ask them for dinner or a quick beer or to explore the city with you. Find people you connect to. All international students suffer from homesickness at some point. They are not only in the same university but also in the same boat as you. If you cook well, invite your Indian friends over and savour the taste of home together. A game night sounds fun too, don’t you think? Something students from all regions can enjoy.

They will soon become your friends, your confidants and perhaps great connections for life. Often, the friends made at the beginning of college stick throughout. At the same time, some you find along the way. With these individuals, you can exchange pleasant stories from your childhood, your homeland and your interests. Or talk about your dreams.

Read more: Overcoming Language Barriers While Studying Abroad

Listen to Your Body

It is important that you study well. But more, it is important that you keep well. Listen to your body and comply with it. If you feel exhausted, take some rest. If you feel overwhelmed, try to clear some tasks off your plate. Homesickness could be multifaceted. Prioritising your feelings is the right thing to do. Speak your heart out to your family or friends. If you have reasons to not inform them, universities too have counsellors to help students. Remember, every feeling is valid. And reasonable. Keep someone informed even if you choose to take care of yourself on your own. You would be surprised how much speaking it out loud helps. Besides, having someone to check on you will help you analyse your growth. If you don’t feel better, seek professional help.

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