The symptoms associated with homesickness usually last for a short period of time but every individual gets affected by it very differently. Read this article to enrich your knowledge on the symptoms and conditions of feeling homesick.
Homesickness is an emotional state of mind in which the affected person experiences a strong feeling of longing due to separation from the home environment. Small children may experience it on the first day of their school or when they have to go away from home to attend a summer camp. Homesickness at college level is also very common amongst first-year students who’av never had any prior experience of staying away from home. Sometimes, students feel it when they change their college and join a new one. Homesickness in adults cannot be ruled out too. They experience it when they have to travel alone to some distant locations leaving their families and friends behind. Basically, homesickness symptoms show up when a person has to live in an unfamiliar environment.
What are the Symptoms of Homesickness?
Usually, a person feels homesick when he or she gets detached from home. But, there are some people who start feeling homesick even days or weeks before they are actually separated from their home. Initially, the symptoms are psychological. A few of them have been listed below:
- Yearning to go back home
- Constant feeling of loneliness
- Sadness for no valid reason
- Strong feelings of anxiousness
- Lack of motivation
- Loss of confidence
- Depressive thoughts
- Frequent mood swings
- Unexplainable pain
- Sense of insecurity
- Living in isolation
- Simple tasks appear difficult and challenging
When these symptoms persist for a long time, then they start complaining about various physical symptoms, which are nothing but reactions of the body in response to excessive mental stress. Some physical indicants include:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach ulcers
- Diarrhea
- Muscular cramps
- Muscular tension
- Suicidal thoughts
How to Cope with Homesickness?
The easiest way to deal with homesickness is to go back home. However, when you are in college, you cannot leave your college and sit at home just because of this feeling. Rather, you have to face the problem and overcome it. Here are a few suggestions that can help you cope with this feeling:
Stay in Touch with Your Near Ones
There are several means of communication to connect with your friends and family. You can call them, write letters, send emails, text messages, and so on. So, at any time if you feel lonely, contact them and you will observe that the heavy feeling within you will be gone in no time.
Make New Friends
If you are in college, there is ample scope to make new friends in the campus and spend a good time together. Adults can befriend their new colleagues and have a good time with them during weekends. Thus, your loneliness will disappear in no time.
Explore the Place
Traveling around in an unknown place can be an exciting experience. Collect a book from which you can get ample information about the important places in your area. Visit those places when you have free time at your disposal.
Invite your Friends and Family Members
Ask your old friends and family members to visit your place on a weekend. Spending quality time with those people, who know you well, can be helpful in dealing with such situations.
Have a Positive Attitude
The feeling of homesickness brings in lots of negative feelings in the mind. Do not ever let depression control your mind. Always remind yourself that this is a temporary phase and things will improve as you get accustomed to the surroundings.
Intervention for homesickness is often different for each individual. This is because every person does not miss the same thing. Some people miss their parents, some miss their siblings, and others may miss their pets. Try one or more of the solutions that have been provided in this article as soon as you notice the symptoms setting in.
Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.
