The journey away from home and off to college is just that, a journey. It’s an excursion, a trip, a life altering experience that will be positive, negative, and a mixture of both. Within that mixture will be many feelings, one of which might be homesickness or loneliness. According to the dictionary, homesickness is a longing for home while away from it. In the world of psychology this is known as “separation anxiety”. So, feeling homesick or lonely is an emotional and psychological state. For most of us, this feeling only lasts a couple of weeks; however, in extreme cases it lasts much longer. Taking steps to reduce the affects of homesickness can improve your college experience. Here are 33 tips to cope with and reduce homesickness.
1. Acknowledge that you are homesick or lonely and know that it’s natural
2. Read a book of spiritual value
3. Purchase a phone card for the month, use it wisely, allot yourself a # of minutes a week, or use it only for emergency homesickness moments
4. Talk about your feelings with someone, maybe even a Resident Assistant or Advisor
5.Bring pictures or home videos of family and friends
6.Bring other familiar items that might provide a sense of continuity to a new environment.
7. If you feel like crying, do so, releasing your feelings is natural and healthy
8. Email your family/friends often and tell them to do the same
9. Establish a family/friends online chat room
10. Create a website dedicated to things you enjoy that you can view when you want
11. Write a poem or essay describing your feelings, then submit it for publication; as a result you may help someone else who’s experiencing the same thing
13. Don’t mask your feelings with food, TV, or denial
14. Take action, explore and familiarize yourself with your surroundings by walking around campus
15. Invite others to explore your new world; you might make a good friend in the process
16. Exercise, visit a recreation center
17. Catch a movie at the student union building or recreation center
18. While your there check out upcoming activities
19. Volunteer for a worthy cause
20. Take interesting classes, study new subjects
21. Join or start an organization or support group
22. Seek out other members of your religion on campus
23. Visit someone who is sick or ill
24. Ask your family to send you a care package full of your favorite things
25. If you like receiving mail ask family/friends to send lots of it
26. Plan a date to go home for a weekend
27. Meditate
28. Give yourself time to deal and adjust to a new life
29. Invite another student over to watch a movie or to just talk
30. Take a nap, get proper rest
31. Read a favorite magazine or book
32. Realize that no burden placed on us is greater than we have the strength to bear
33. Close your eyes, breath deeply, be thankful that you are fortunate to have family and friends to love and miss
