Overcoming Homesickness: What No One Talks About When Traveling

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No one talks about that gut-wrenching homesickness that creeps up when you travel. But I’m here to tell you: it’s real; I have experienced it. And a lot of times, it sneaks up on you when you least expect it! Now you’re in your feelings during the entire trip and miss out on the whole experience. 

No more!

Today, I’ve got some AWESOME tips for overcoming homesickness that will ensure it never ruins a trip again.  

How to Overcome Homesickness

Acknowledge Your Feelings

We all know the first step to fixing a problem is admitting we have one. The only way to truly deal with homesickness is to acknowledge that you are missing home. And that’s completely natural, but not to the point that it ruins your trip! 

By noticing your feelings, you’re validating yourself, which in turn lessens the power of those feelings and makes them much easier to overcome. 

So, how do you acknowledge your feelings? It’s much easier than you think, and you can do it anywhere, anytime! We can even do it right now, shall we?

Ok – here we go! With your eyes either closed or open, take three deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Now, ask yourself, “How am I doing?” Be honest & listen to what comes up. Here you are creating yourself space to voice your concerns and assure yourself that everything’s okay. This is a great exercise to calm yourself and get at the root of the problem. 

Be Patient

Sometimes, it takes time to adjust to new places. And you may be thinking, “Well, I only have seven days of vacation. I don’t want to use all my time ‘adjusting.’” And I completely understand – I wouldn’t want to either. Instead, use one day (or a couple of hours) to collect yourself and your thoughts. Mentally prepare yourself by setting your expectations for the trip and just jump in! 

Focus on What You Have

The underlying theme to overcoming homesickness is staying in the present. Why is this so important? The principle is that by focusing on everything you have in the present moment, you have no time to feel anything other than what’s currently happening. Being in the moment and concentrating on what you have helps you cultivate a deep appreciation for your current surroundings, which naturally raises your vibration! 

Sadly, it can be very easy to miss out on the present moments. So, make sure you’re aware and enjoying each moment as it comes. 

Bonus tip: One trick that always helps me is remembering that everything is temporary. This trip will only last but so long, and who knows when I’ll be back. Best to enjoy it while it’s still here. Also, I’ll be home soon, so there’s no point in wasting time being upset about missing home. 

Bring Familiar Items from Home 

Sometimes to overcome homesickness, you have to realize that home’s always with you! As corny as that sounds, it does help ease the longing feeling you get when you miss your family & friends. To help you think of home, bring some familiar items from home with you on your trip. This way, you have a little piece of home to keep you company on your travels. 

Get Busy

Another idea to lessen homesickness is to get busy! And by that, I mean filling up your time with things you like to do. The more active you are, the less time your mind has to dwell on your home! And anyway, who wants to spend their whole trip wondering about what everyone back home is doing? Try out some of these fun activities to ease the longing for home!

• Explore
  • Go out and explore the city! Instead of thinking about home, remember why you took this trip in the first place. What did you want to see and experience while visiting? Go check it out!
• Go shopping
  • If you’re anything like me, you like to spend money on yourself. LOL! Seriously though, shopping is an excellent way for some people to decompress and relax. And shopping could be anything under the sun –  from clothes to video games!
• Try to Meet New People
  • This activity is beneficial if you find yourself on a solo trip. My post, 5 Benefits for Traveling Solo, goes into more detail on the benefits of taking a solo trip.
  • As daunting as meeting new people sounds, it’s surprisingly easy if you put yourself in the right places. 
  • Try traveling with a singles group tour or even a local bar to meet new people. Do things you enjoy, and people will naturally gravitate towards you. 

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or this is your first trip, we all experience homesickness from time to time. And as we mentioned earlier, acknowledging your feelings and being present are some of the best practices when you’re missing home. Share below how these tips worked for you! 

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