Do you find yourself experiencing some of the feelings described below when you travel?

• a disturbed sleeping pattern
• feeling angry, nauseous, nervous, or sad
• feeling isolated, lonely, or withdrawn
• feeling overwhelmed, insecure, anxious, or panicky
• feelings of low self-esteem or self-worth
• headaches
• a lack of appetite or concentration

If so, congratulations!

That just confirmed you’re a NORMAL HUMAN BEING.

I know, I know, I know …. You were probably expecting to read something in the lines of ‘maybe something is wrong with you. But guess what? Feeling homesick before or during a trip just shows that you’re perfectly normal.

In fact, Tamar Chansky, a psychologist and author of “Freeing Yourself From Anxiety”, emphasized that homesickness is a very normal part of the human experience.

However, the fact that it is normal doesn’t mean that it’s good for you.

Homesickness can deprive you of the fun and excitement that comes with experiencing a new environment. Not to mention it can get you emotionally unwell, overly distressed, and unnecessarily paranoid.

This is why you need to get rid of it.

In this article, we’re going to show you how.

Tips for beating homesickness when you travel

1. Accept your emotions and try to distract yourself
As we earlier pointed out, there are lots of ways someone can get homesick. You could be feeling nauseous, anxious, paranoid, insecure, angry, overwhelmed, or lonely (basically missing someone or something).

Once any of these feelings set in, the first thing is to embrace it and tell yourself, “Hey, this is completely normal. There’s no point crying about it or feeling down. After the embracing phase, get something doing to distract yourself.

For example, if you’re feeling homesick because you miss someone, embrace your loneliness, and get busy with something in your new environment. In no time, the thoughts of the one you miss will depart your mind, and you’ll be yourself again.

2. Feel free to put a call through
It is absolutely okay to phone or Skype that person you miss. At first, it might seem like you’re missing them the more, but just hearing their voice or seeing their face can do your world a world of difference.

If it isn’t a person you’re missing but a thing or a place, phone someone at home and ask them to catch you up to speed with all the latest happenings at home.

3. Look for Humor
Henri de Mondeville, a professor of surgery in the 1300s, once said that “laughter is the best medicine”.

If you’re feeling homesick on your travels, catching a source of humor can get you back into your element.

So, how do you find humor in a new environment you wonder?

Visit cinemas, attend live comedy shows, or hang out with the locals. If language is a barrier, then you may want to try some traditional and digital options like reading books (comics especially), watching YouTube and Instagram videos, visiting humor websites and TV and radio shows.

4. Bring home along
If you know you get homesick when you travel, it may be wise preparing ahead for an episode.

You can prepare by recording conversations with loved ones to listen to later. Or by bringing photos and items of people or things that connect you to home along. Or by visiting places that remind you of home when you reach your destination.

Items to bring along may be pets, collections of movies or a kitchen recipe suggestion from a loved one, premade snacks and food items from your homeland, music playlists, etc.

Pets are particularly good for these situations, especially if you have smart ones like these Goldendoodle puppies that can sense when you’re feeling homesick, and help boost your mood. But beware of your Goldendoodle developing health issues as they’re quite sensitive to new environments.

5. Mingle with people
One of the biggest causes of homesickness in homesick folks is an inherent reluctance to mingle with people on their travels.

If you know you normally feel homesick during your travels, it is wise to mingle with people almost immediately you touch down in your new environment.

Simply by talking with others, visiting places, and getting acquainted with a new culture, someone with homesick tendencies can put themselves in a position where they don’t necessarily miss their old environment too much or feel awkward about the new one.

Think about it; aren’t you less likely to feel panicky about a new place if you make friends quickly than when you’re all alone throughout your stay?

6. Continue with your routines
One of the first few differences people notice on their travels is that they aren’t able to live their routines.

For example, maybe you always wake up at 5 A.M. in the morning, exercise and train your Goldendoodle puppy a few commands, hit the showers, and head out. When you’re on a trip, things might be different. And as such, it may be hard keeping up with your old routine.

Unfortunately, this change in lifestyle can set the tone for homesickness.

This is why it’s strongly recommended that you should strive to keep up with your old routines when you’re away, even if it means you have to bring some extra elements along.

In the above-described scenario, the extra baggage would be your pet. But that shouldn’t be a problem, especially if you own a small dog breed instead of a big one.

Even if you have new demands and a completely different lifestyle in your new environment, maintaining old routines helps you keep your homesick tendencies in check.

7. Always be on the move
Without a doubt, there are certainly lots of ways to make one’s home a fun place to be. But unless you really have a reason to be locked indoors, we strongly recommend you find opportunities to step out of the house once in a while.

It is well-documented that staying indoors for great lengths of time can build up anxiety and restlessness. As you know, feeling restless can also make one become more irritable and upset than usual by seemingly minor things.

As you’ll agree, all these are symptoms of homesickness.

If you’re always feeling homesick on your travels, chances are you’re guilty of always cooping yourself inside.

Get out and get fresh air. Breathe in your new environment, and bask in the new sights. You’ll be glad you did, and in no time, you’ll start to feel like a part of your new environment.
And just like that, you’ll have beaten homesickness!

Don’t know where to go to? Go and see the main tourist sites of wherever you are, grab a beer, have a coffee, walk your cute F1b Goldendoodle pet, or go to a club.

8. Indulge in something familiar
Sometimes the reason we feel homesick in new environments is because we don’t see things, places, or items that resonate with us.

This is why it’s often advised that when a new person reaches a new environment, they should look out for familiar items, places, or things.

This can be a newspaper written in your country language, restaurant selling foods that are native to your homeland, a bookstore with familiar pieces, or a place where foreigners like you like to hang out.

The idea here is to immerse yourself in activities that remind you of home. This way, you won’t feel completely detached from your cherished environment.