Wandering Flâneuse
- Aug 11, 2020
- 5 min read

My Top 6 Homesickness Remedies

I stare at the screen in anticipation. Zoom flashes updates to me, ‘Connecting..connected, use audio speaker?’. I quickly tap ‘yes’, and I am officially live! My dad's ‘Ultra cool quiz’ (his name for it, NOT mine) has commenced. I look at the screen to see my families smiling faces back at me, I hear their voices and listen to the usual back and forth, my dad teasing my mum, my mum smiling telling us ‘don't mind your dad, he's a nuisance! ’, and my brother shaking his head laughing at them. I see the familiar attires, dad in his shirt and jumper, mum wearing something in a dark tone that is fashionable and understated, and my brother in his branded t-shirt and messy hair. Little signals of comfort and familiarity wave at me, pulling me in. For just a moment, I feel like I am home. It almost feels like if I reach out my hand, my touch will reach their gentle and familiar faces. Then, I remember. I am nowhere near home I am roughly around 10,386 km away from home. As I leave the family quiz and wave for the hundredth time to the screen, an all-consuming pang in my heart hits me. I longed to just reach through the screen for a couple of moments to hug them. I felt an overwhelming feeling of homesickness overcome me.

This brought on the inspiration for this article, what is the cure for homesickness? Right now, across the world, a global pandemic is taking place. It has resulted in thousands of families and friends being separated from their loved ones, and not by choice. Some people, like me, chose to leave home- but we didn't know that when we would be away, the world would become dictated by the conditions of COVID-19. This has brought up a lot of feelings of separation anxiety, homesickness, and isolation for large-scaling populations.

So, I began my research, and now I would like to present to you my tried and tested findings. Here are my top 6 homesickness remedies!

1. Create a Juicy and Enticing Bucket List

Deep dive into the place that you are currently living and find a few hidden gems you would love to explore. I am currently creating a list of 10 activities I want to do before I leave Da Nang, one activity is to go kayaking in the sea at sunset. I am buzzing for it! By making a list of these new places or activities, it will keep you focused on the next adventure.

2. Home isn't a Place, It’s a Feeling

Feeling homesick? Create your own cushy home! Home isn't a place, it’s a feeling. This one is huge for me- living in space long term that you have no connection to is incredibly unsettling. It is important to figure out components that make you feel comfortable and balanced. I use the same concept as 'clean room, clean mind', but switch it up to ‘comfortable space, comfortable mind’. The items that I bring into space for it to feel comfortable for me are; candles, a plant, a magazine or a book visible, and my paints. These signifiers act as visual balancing weights for me and give me a sense of grounding and hygge- a Danish word used when acknowledging a feeling or moment, whether alone or with friends, at home or out, as cosy, charming or comfortable. After all, one of the reasons you might be experiencing homesickness is because you haven't quite felt like your new country/city is home yet.

3. Give a Little, Get a Lot

So this one is obviously down to your budget, but if it is within your budget range, I could not recommend it more! It is the ultimate feel-good remedy. Three core ways to inspire a ‘flow’ state are; engaging in an activity that you love, engaging with people that you love, and thirdly the act of giving. Through the act of giving, you activate regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust, creating a “warm glow” effect. I gifted my parents a box of photo prints a couple of months ago to remind them of some special memories we have together. It brought me a deep sense of gratification looking through old pictures and awaiting the delivery to arrive, knowing that it would bring my loved ones joy. It was reasonably affordable too, check it out here: LALALAB

4.Your Daily Dose of Zen

I know that every second blog says this, but practicing mindfulness is truly the answer to a healthy mindset I think. When people think of mindfulness they often think of meditation, and meditation isn't for everyone, which is fair. Fear not, there are so many ways you can practice mindfulness daily that isn't meditation. However, If meditation is something you find helpful, then I recommend the Calm app. I particularly like the ‘body scan’ meditations, which help me become truly present and connected with my body and surroundings.

If meditation isn't for you, yoga might be more your vibe. I prefer yoga and find Yoga With Adriene on Youtube to be deadly. Her specific yoga for loneliness sequence is very soothing.

If meditation and yoga aren't for you, I recommend doing an online course on a topic related to mindfulness or positive thinking. This allows you to engage in mindfulness through a practical and educational model. Here is a course to consider trying out on Udemy: Certificate in Positive Psychology (Happiness), which is accredited and only $17.

5. Get into the Groove of Routine

Okay, so this one sounds mundane, but a simple routine can be an essential key to staying balanced, helping to bypass feelings of homesickness due to generating a sense of stability and purpose. Routines don't have to be dull or complicated. For example, my routine yesterday was; to get up at around 10 am, do a quick meditation, go to the gym, read my book, do some work online, prepare dinner then chill for the evening. Although these might seem like obvious steps, homesickness can tend to make you feel a lack of direction or balance. By creating a routine and sticking to it, no matter how simple it is, it will provide an intention for each day and a sense of normality, leaving no time implemented into your routine for homesickness!

6. Do Something You Love, Honey Child!

We are all still children at heart, and what do you do if a child is feeling sad or frustrated? You distract them with something they will enjoy, which brings them a sense of calm and happiness. Don't treat yourself any differently to this- be kind to yourself. When I feel sad or homesick, I give myself a big dose of self-love. I nestle into a good book with a cup of tea and get lost in a fictional world, or I whip out my paints and lather a page in a mixture of vibrant colours. It's helpful to have something that you love to do in a place that is easily accessible for times when you might need them most. I keep my paint set and books on the coffee table in the living room which means they are visible reminders to me daily.

Some real talk here though, you cannot just wish away homesickness, unfortunately, and at times it can feel impossible to not dip into the darkness. In saying that, I believe that these simple remedies can help to keep the feelings of homesickness at bay and allow you to embrace empowering and positive emotions. You are in the driver's seat, don't forget. If you take a wrong turn, re-navigate, and you will be right back on track. The beauty of life!

Mantra: The only thing constant is change. The only place we can truly live is here and now.