10 Tips for Overcoming Homesickness During Your Expatriation

1- Understand That Homesickness Is Normal

Homesickness is a normal stage that many expatriates go through. Anyone who moves abroad is likely to go through the different phases of culture shock:

• The honeymoon phase, where the expatriate marvels at their new environment.

• The culture shock itself, where the feeling of displacement, of being "the foreigner" (rightly so!), generates homesickness.

• Adaptation to the new environment.

• Acclimatization, when the expatriate feels comfortable in their new country.

Thus, you may feel out of sync with your new country and begin to idealize the past. Nostalgia is like a wave: it comes unexpectedly, overwhelms you, and eventually passes. Accept homesickness: it's part of the expatriation experience. Give yourself time and take care of yourself.

2- Recreate a "Day Like Home"

Taking care of yourself can involve recreating a day or a few hours "like at home": buy or cook specialties from your home country, do activities you used to do in your country, watch a movie, listen to the radio, or read a book from your country. Thanks to the internet, we're fortunate today to have access to the culture of other countries. Take advantage of it!

3- Keep in Touch with Your Loved Ones

Just because you've moved far from your family and friends doesn't mean you have to cut ties. Keeping in touch with loved ones back home has never been easier thanks to new technologies: calls, video calls, sharing photos and videos, sending packages...

4- Make Your Home Feel Like Home

To feel at home, it can be beneficial to recreate a "home away from home." When you expatriate, bring personal belongings and sentimental items (photos, trinkets, plush toys, books...) that remind you of home. Also, take the time to decorate your interior to make it a comforting and secure cocoon: buy plants, decoration…

5- Create a Routine

Staying active is essential to avoid falling into boredom, which is conducive to nostalgia and homesickness. The lifestyle change brought about by expatriation is an opportunity to create a new routine. Make sure to include "healthy" lifestyle habits: healthy eating, exercise... Plan activities that promote well-being, such as a yoga session or some reading before bedtime. This routine will be a great help on days when you feel demotivated.

6- Explore and Enjoy Your Expat Life

Expatriation is synonymous with adventure, so take advantage of it to explore your new country or city. Exploring your new environment will teach you to appreciate it and make you forget your nostalgia. Also, try out new activities, whether they're sports, artistic, cultural, or community-based... Get out of your house and prefer real-life interactions to social media..

7- Find New Familiar Places

To overcome homesickness, one of our best tips is to recreate references for yourself. So, find your favorite places and turn them into familiar spots: a café near your home, a park, a beach... As Xavier says so well in "L'Auberge Espagnole," "after a while, it belongs to you because you lived there."

8- Forge Relationships in Your New Country

If you want to overcome homesickness, don't remain isolated. Connect with expat networks (or student networks), and share your experience and what you're going through with their members because it's very likely that they have experienced the same thing at one time or another. Make new friends and don't limit yourself to other expatriates. Try to build relationships with locals.

9- Plan a Visit Home 

Plan a trip to your home country and visit your loved ones. But be careful not to overdo it! Alternatively, you can invite your loved ones. By doing so, you'll discover your new country through their eyes, and their enthusiasm will be contagious.

10- Find a Balance

Our final tip for overcoming homesickness is to find a balance between elements that remind you of home and integrating into your new country. This involves staying in touch with your loved ones while seeking to build relationships in your host country. Find a middle ground, so you don't get trapped in your nostalgia and miss out on this very rich expatriation experience.

About Expat.com

Expat.com is the leading platform for life abroad. With more than 3 million members, it offers free information, advice, networking opportunities, and services. It is the essential tool for a successful expatriation.