Homesickness: meaning, causes + 9 tips against homesickness

Content

• Meaning: What is homesickness?
• Opposite to longing for home
• Homesickness Symptoms
• Causes: where does homesickness come from?
• Does homesickness go away on its own?
• Tips: Here's How You Can Fight Homesickness

It appears on business trips or longer private stays: homesickness. Often it makes traveling and overnight stays away from home a torture. In extreme cases, homesickness is so great that an early return is necessary. But where does the longing for home come from and what can you do about it? We explain what's behind it and how you can fight your homesickness ...

Meaning: What is homesickness?

Homesickness describes the feeling of longing for home and one's own home. Already in the 17th century the term homesickness was used by the doctor Johannes Hofer to describe the clinical picture “nostalgia” (Swiss disease).

The meaning has not changed since then. People can feel homesick when they are far away and want to go back home. Duration and distance are irrelevant. The feeling can be equally strong when you are only a few kilometers away for a few days or at the other end of the world for weeks.

Opposite to longing for home

Some people do not long for home, but for strange places. The opposite of homesickness is the wanderlust that draws those affected out into the world.

The camp fever can also be viewed as an antonym. This is evident in the feeling that the ceiling falls on your head at home. However, this does not necessarily lead to increased wanderlust. Even more variety or a walk in front of the door can help.

Homesickness Symptoms

How homesickness expresses itself varies from person to person. Sometimes it is just a slight home pain, for others it is a serious torment from which not only the mood but even the health suffers. Classic and common homesickness symptoms are:

• nostalgia
  Longing for home is typical for homesickness. Those affected wish with all their hearts to be back home - to see familiar places, friends and family.
• melancholy
  Longing is paired with great melancholy. Nothing can bring joy anymore, a state of persistent sadness and hopelessness arises.
• Loss of appetite
  The psychological stress can lead to loss of appetite. Since thoughts only revolve around home, eating is out of the question.
• nausea
  Sometimes the longing for home hits hard on the stomach. Nausea and vomiting can result.
• a headache
  The high levels of tension often lead to muscle tension - and the resulting headaches when the shoulders and neck are excessively stressed.
• aggressions
  The behavior towards other people can not only be unfriendly, but also downright aggressive. Dissatisfaction and frustration are taken out on other people.
• sleep disorders
  The night is often the worst time of the day if you are homesick. Instead of restful sleep, those affected lie awake for hours and suffer from insomnia.
• Anxiety
  The feeling of being alone in the distance causes fear and sometimes panic attacks. Anyone affected by this does not feel up to the situation and feels helpless.
• depressions
  In extreme cases, homesickness can even lead to depression. The risk is particularly high if the feeling persists and nothing can be done about it.

Causes: where does homesickness come from?

Homesickness occurs when we feel strange, disconnected, and lonely. It is triggered by the - feared or actual - separation from home, the familiar environment, as well as important reference persons in family and friends.

The causes are intensified through negative experiences from the past or compulsion. Those who don't really want to leave home, but are pushed and forced to do so, are unfortunately particularly often longing for a quick return.

Does homesickness go away on its own?

A common piece of advice in the case of home pain: Over time it will go away on its own ... In individual cases this may be the case, but for most of those affected it is not true. Rather, the opposite can be observed. If nothing is done about it, homesickness will continue to grow.

In no case should the problem be underestimated. Ignoring or belittling in the sense of “It's not that bad” can turn the above symptoms into serious health risks.

Tips: Here's How You Can Fight Homesickness

The good news: As painful as the feeling is, you are not at the mercy of homesickness. Whether on business trips or when you work abroad as an expatriate - you can fight homesickness with the following tips:

• Accept the homesickness
  You don't have to be ashamed of homesickness. It's a normal feeling that affects many people. It shows that you are very attached to your homeland and that you feel comfortable there. Accept that when you travel you feel a longing for familiarity - then it will be easier to deal with the feeling.
• Don't back off
  You feel strange and alone - don't reinforce this by withdrawing and isolating completely. Spend time on a business trip with colleagues who are also on site. That distracts, makes for a better mood and the social contact helps immensely against the home pain.
• Stay open to new ideas
  At home you feel good and stay in the comfort zone. In other places, you should stay curious and open to new ideas. You can get to know new places and foreign cultures. Openness to these new experiences is a powerful remedy for homesickness.
• Do as much as you can
  Just sitting around feeling uncomfortable and thinking about home? Not a good idea! Get out there, make plans, take an active part in the day. The more you go about it, the less you can hang out in familiar places.
• Make contacts
  Are you in a different place for a longer period of time? Then you should try to get in there right from the start. Meet new people, socialize, and build friendships. This increases the feeling of belonging.
• Make a schedule
  At home everything runs according to a regular routine - these familiar processes are missing elsewhere. Therefore, create a schedule that provides orientation. What do you do on which days and at what time? The structure of recurring activities helps overcome homesickness.
• Look forward to your return
  Business trips and vacations are limited. With acute homesickness it may feel like forever, but the days go by very quickly. Comfort yourself with the fact that you will soon be on your way back.
• Get your home away from home
  Make phone calls with friends and family, look for a restaurant that offers specialties from your region or listen to your favorite radio station on the Internet. There are countless ways to find a piece of home all over the world - but for some the memories can also reinforce the longing.
• Break off the trip
  Pull the rip cord in good time if you feel really bad and your health is seriously suffering. If nothing helps, it may be necessary to end a trip early and return home. It may also be advisable to talk to a doctor or psychologist about such extreme homesickness.