‘There are days when I can’t help but feel homesick even though I designed my new life to make myself feel at home’
There are many things that trigger homesickness for many migrants across the globe. Some of the triggers are:
1- The feeling of being alone, not belonging to a group or community.
2- Moving to a new city or a new country where they do not have family or friends
3- Homesickness can also be experienced through missing the simple things that bring back home. It can be certain foods, special celebrations and gatherings that do not happen in the new place they chose to call home.
4- Missing immediate family members.
5- Feeling misunderstood because migrants don’t understand the culture of the new country they chose to call home
My own feelings of homesickness that I experience every now and then comes from missing immediate family members who I am far away from and missing the special times we enjoyed together. It is one of the disadvantages of migration and distance that many migrants struggle with behind the scenes. I share how I combat feelings of homesickness in my Chapter in The UnStoppable Woman of Unwavering Faith book, published October 2018.
Feeling Homesick for a prolonged period of time can lead to mental health issues like stress, anxiety and depression. To avoid feelings of homesickness getting out of hand here are some tips to help you settle in wherever you are in the world
1- Get out of your way to find and make friends from your cultural background when possible or friends that you feel comfortable around.
2- Start by searching for meet-up groups online with similar interests to yours.
3- Join your local gym and be open to meeting others who enjoy classes you enjoy.
4- If you are a parent try and connect with other parents in your kids school or childcare. Organise coffee dates or play dates where you can connect further outside the school or childcare environment.
5- A way to combat that feeling of missing your home & immediate family is to try and maintain regular connection with them no matter where they are in the world. This can be done through utilizing technology to work in your favor.
Lastly, remember why you chose to move to a new country in the first place was it for work purposes, for a better lifestyle or simply because you were looking to design a New Life? Remembering your why helps keep you on track to achieve what you are seeking to achieve.
Need help recreating and redesigning your life? Let’s chat
❤️Marwa
Your LifeStyle Design Consultant