How to get rid of Homesickness?

Wiki defines ``Homesickness as the distress or impairment caused by an actual or anticipated separation from home. Its cognitive hallmark is preoccupying thoughts of home and attachment objects.`` 

Well homesickness as is self-explanatory from the above definition, a form of anxiety or emotional distress that results from feeling disconnected from home, family, familiar people and environment. I am usually one of its victims. Well, homesickness is not a bad disease though, but can be bad if you don’t take care of your emotions well.  Whenever, I am away from home, I have difficulty in adjusting to a new environment, I start feeling lonely and cut off from my regular livelihood and I start missing home too much. However, with time I adjust well in the environment and I start having fun :) Well, how do I do it? Here are some tips if you are prone to homesickness: 

       1.     Change your environment, make it as homely as possible:  

    The first weekend of my stay here in Geneva, I changed the interior of my apartment like I was at home. I arranged my working table, my dining table, my kitchen, my makeup corner. After I was done, I felt real good. It helps, you feel like you are going to have fun in the new place. 

 2.     Do some things you loved to do at home:

Though part of being away from home is doing many new things that you would never think to do in your home, you can find always do some of the things you loved to do at home. What I do  here is, I cook my favourite local food most of the time, I watch my favourite TV series online, I read and write like I used to do at home, I sing, I lie down in the bed and bathtub for hours without doing anything, I just love being lazy at times.

      3.     Shop like you would at home:

When you buy fruits, vegetables and grocery abroad, you feel simply good. I mean I like trying out new stuffs, for instance using Swiss cheese for my ema datshi, using their local milk for my tea, buying their local bread for breakfast (* the one I bought last Saturday was yuck, I nearly threw up), etc etc. And of course buy new clothes for yourself, dress yourself like you are one of them ;) – I like doing this, buy new shoes, souvenirs, it feels awesome.

   

     

    4. Talk to your loved ones:

In spite of 5 hours of time difference, my family and my loved ones wait for me to get back to my apartment so that we can talk; I tell them about my day and listen to their's. I feel so loved and blessed. It is always lovely to talk to your family; they are your saviours who turn everything right.

 5.     Make good new friends:

 This is one important thing. You should have someone to talk about how you feel, talks about home and do things together, explore new things, new places, new cuisine, share each other’s meals. I am glad that I met good friends here, a family away from home, we laugh at each other’s joke even when we don’t understand it fully, weird but it’s fun.

    6.     Make a Wish List for Exploring your New City:

Do a research about the place/city you are in and find places of interest you absolutely have to explore. We are all very lucky to live in a digital era, there are so many sites you could visit, google search is the most popular one. Make a list of these places or activities and challenge yourself to do/see all of them before you leave. Enjoy the unique aspects of your new environment. I have my bucket list:

      1.     Travel:

To visit Zurich, Bern, Lausanne, Vevey and Montreux – These are beautiful cities  of Switzerland,

Visit Paris and Venice (this would entirely depend on my visa application) – Praying everyday,

Visit the Alps region of Switzerland – The Mountains,

Take a boat ride,

      2.     Buy Good Gifts for my loved ones (The Best Swiss specialities ;))

      3.     Buy myself a good Swiss Watch

      4.     Eat a good Swiss Cuisine

      5.     Learn some French

      6.     Enhance my WTO knowledge

      7.     Improve my public speaking skills

Well, I already completed some; I still have the other wishes to fulfil.

    7.     Keep a Positive Attitude: 

A positive attitude helps you cope more easily with the daily affairs of life. It brings hopefulness and cheerfullness into your life and makes it easier to avoid worries and negative thinking. Being alone gives you time to discover new things about yourself and become a stronger person. 

Have a positive attitude and wear a smile always, life will turn out awesome and you will have the most enjoyable stay where ever you are.