Homesickness Or Longing Syndrome
The homesickness or nostalgia syndrome represents an emotional state that may affect the sleep, appetite, concentration and general health. It occurs when you are away from your family or any environment in which you feel comforted and from which you have separated.
In reality, the longing syndrome is a form of sadness, low mood or in some cases, depression that arises when you find yourself in a new environment. It is a natural state of mind that arises as a result of facing new situations and the nostalgia caused by missing the routine and the loved ones.
However, longing in some cases can turn out to be positive. This is confirmed by a study carried out by the University of Southampton: “nostalgia brings positive feelings, increases self-esteem, fosters social relationships and alleviates existential anguish”. Still, the feeling can be very unpleasant if we don’t know how to manage it. Therefore, in this article we will tell you everything you need to know about why it occurs and how to combat it.
Homesickness or longing syndrome
Although all people are susceptible to nostalgic episodes at any age, the youngest are usually more vulnerable to this syndrome. This occurs for the following reasons:
- Children and adolescents are generally not that emotionally independent.
- Young people have not had as much experience in new situations.
However, people of all ages can suffer from homesickness . So what are the symptoms?
Symptoms of homesickness
Longing syndrome can affect cognitive, behavioral, emotional and physical levels. Here are the symptoms that occur in these four categories:
1- Cognitive level
- Thinking continuously about the place of origin.
- Negative and inappropriate thoughts.
- Idealize the home.
2- Behavior level
- Loss of concentration
- Frequent crying spells.
- Difficulties eating and sleeping.
- Withdrawal from social life.
- Inability to get into a comfortable routine.
3- Emotional level
- Sadness.
- Loneliness.
- Humor changes.
- Anger.
- Anxiety.
- Lack of energy and motivation.
4- Physical level
- Headache.
- Sickness.
- Dizziness.
- Muscle tension.
Five ways to deal with homesickness
As you can see, the symptoms of longing syndrome can be quite annoying. So here are five tips to deal with them.
1- Go out and explore
The more familiar you are with your new environment, the less adaptation will cost you. Therefore, we recommend that you participate in the activities that take place in your new destination. The sooner you start to feel at home, the sooner the nostalgia will disappear!
2- Keep in touch with your loved ones
Currently, there is a very wide range of contact channels to maintain communication and connect with your friends and family. Even if you are abroad, these technologies allow you to call them, send text messages or make video calls.
Therefore, anytime you feel lonely, you can connect with them. With a simple call, you will see that the bad feelings you have inside disappear instantly!
3- Carry out your passions
Living in another country does not mean that you have to forget your hobbies. For example, if you like cycling or running and the weather allows it, we recommend that you invest your time in doing these types of activities even if at first you do not have someone to do them with.
On the other hand, practicing your hobbies can be a good way to connect with new people. Thanks to the Internet, there are thousands of ways to find other people with your same interests.
4- Limit social networks
If you wake up every day and the first thing you do is catch up on what your friends and family post on social media, you will surely feel nostalgic.
Therefore, it is positive to be oblivious to all the publications of your acquaintances. Remember that to connect with your new destination, you need to disconnect at least part of your previous life.
5- Positive attitude
Of course, the feeling of nostalgia brings with it many negative feelings. Still, don’t let sadness and discomfort control your mind. Keep in mind that this is a temporary phase and things will improve as you get used to your new surroundings.
Thinking positively is one of the keys to achieving this, since, among other things, it will be much easier for you to make new friends and be more proactive. Positive moods prompt you to go out and actively seek contact with other people.
Finally, keep in mind that if you have changed your lifestyle and have left your comfort zone, it should take some time for you to get used to the change. We are convinced that you will succeed!
