Homesickness can be defined as the discomfort and distress you feel once you are apart from your home. It creates difficulty because you are detached from your home and the objects you were once connected to.
Especially, ex-pats that are living abroad, homesickness is one of the frequently reported issues they faced. But sometimes, it’s difficult to put the finger on things and label them as homesickness. The following is a list of top 5 indicators that you are dealing with homesickness.
1. Everything reminds you of home
You never truly settle into the new place. Everything you do reminds you of previous things back at home. The food doesn’t taste good, even if you follow the recipe to the fullest. You find yourself making constant comparisons of how things used to be better.
Even simple activities such as washing dishes or adjusting your room make you feel exhausted. You feel tired all the time. Everything seems out of place and reminds you of your home.
2. Loneliness
You feel lonely, no matter how much you try to occupy yourself. Feelings of boredom and isolation occupy your mind. Everything and everyone irritates you and reminds you of people and things back home.
Adjustment naturally feels difficult and takes some time. While it is reasonable to feel lonely for some time after you move places, but prolonged loneliness can indicate you are dealing with homesickness.
3. Difficulty Sleeping
You cannot adjust properly to your new sleep schedule. You find it hard to sleep at night, and some people even develop insomnia away from home. It is difficult to relax in general. This causes further issues such as low energy levels, difficulty concentrating and lack of motivation.
Also, sleeping at your new place can be uncomfortable because you were earlier used to sleeping in the same bed for many years. Problems sleeping and relaxing can indicate homesickness.
4. Difficulty making decisions
You find it difficult to make decisions on your own. Instead, you call your parents or spouse every time you need to make a change or do something new. Choosing between things seems frustrating and exhausting for you to handle on your own.
You always find yourself being anxious about the changes you have made. It is tricky coping with the changes in your new environment. You experience more stress, anxiety and even develop depression in some cases.
5. Physical Sickness
You experience headaches of different intensities when you’re away from home. Prolonged homesickness can increase stress levels making it difficult for you to manage your troubles. Also, you may experience indigestion of food and throw up at times.
You feel nausea and lightheadedness. Dizziness is among the familiar cues of homesickness. This can result due to a weaker immune system, and any such increased sicknesses can indicate homesickness.
Conclusion
Homesickness can be a hard thing to identify, but half the cure lies in the identification of the problem. Using these tips will help you identify whether the trouble you’re facing is something else, or is it the constant reminders of home that are causing your problems.
