How To Deal With Homesickness Gap Semester

How to Deal with Homesickness During Your Gap Semester

Going abroad for a gap semester is an exciting and life-changing experience, but it can also be challenging, especially in moments when you feel down or discouraged. Homesickness is a feeling of sadness, loneliness, and longing for your home, family, and friends, and no one is totally immune to these feelings. 

Being homesick is a natural part of being away from home for an extended period; some people may not feel it often, but for those that do, homesickness can impact their overall well-being and enjoyment of their travels. Remember, though, that even if you are feeling homesick this doesn’t mean you need to pack up and head home—there are a lot of causes for homesickness, but there are also many solutions.

To have the best experience possible, you can better understand homesickness and learn about the tools and resources available to you that help you manage your feelings. In this article, we outline how to deal with homesickness during your gap semester.

Understanding Homesickness

Being homesick isn’t anything to be embarrassed about—you may be surprised at just how many people experience it on some level or another. This is because homesickness can come in different forms and different intensities. Knowing what is behind your feelings of homesickness can help you figure out what you should do to remedy the situation.

Causes of Homesickness

Traveling abroad or taking a gap semester is full of new and exciting experiences, which affect an entire spectrum of emotions. Homesickness is a natural response to suddenly living in an unfamiliar place, but it can also be triggered by stress, culture shock, and other factors. You may be:

• Overwhelmed with learning a new language or customs
• Worrying about or missing your family or friends back home
• Nervous about the tasks you need to complete
• Overstimulated by others or unfamiliar settings
• Feeling alone or depressed
• Trying to adjust to a new routine

Even positive changes can still make us feel negative or overwhelming emotions since our brains love what is familiar. Any time you challenge your brain with a new environment, you need to give yourself time to adjust.

Signs of Homesickness

The signs of homesickness can range from mild feelings of sadness to severe depression and anxiety. You may deal with the occasional bout of the blues, or you may find yourself being completely unmotivated to stay and complete your semester. Symptoms you can look for include:

• Isolating yourself from others
• Experiencing a lot of anxiety
• Feeling depressed or like you are grieving
• Not sleeping well
• Dealing with body pains
• Having no appetite or having stomach issues
• Not being able to focus or be productive
• Always feeling upset or triggered by your environment

Notice that some of these signs are physical, like having an upset stomach or poor sleeping patterns, while others are emotionally driven, like being unable to focus or pulling away from others. Everyone is different and may be predisposed to certain feelings or physical responses, so it’s important to know yourself and recognize when you are feeling or behaving differently.

Symptoms of homesickness can last a day, a few weeks, or months. Take the time and effort it requires to be self-aware and notice if these feelings are persisting long-term. Don’t hesitate to reach out for support if you’re feeling severely depressed or anxious. 

Coping with Homesickness

Learning how to deal with homesickness on a gap semester as a student can be challenging, especially if you’re feeling trapped or anxious—but the key to overcoming these feelings is to remember that such feelings don’t last forever and that you can do something about it! In most cases it’s better to try and work through your feelings than to simply go home; you may end up being regretful or frustrated with your experience. 

Try some of these coping techniques. Here are some tips we recommend to feel like yourself again and set realistic expectations for the rest of your trip.

Embracing Your Experience Abroad

One of the best ways to combat homesickness is to focus on the positive aspects of your experience abroad. When you immerse yourself in this new experience, you are taking full advantage of this opportunity to travel and stretch your boundaries. Instead of seeing everything that isn’t there (like the comforts of your typical life), explore your new surroundings, learn about a new culture, and meet new people.

Staying Connected with Home

It’s okay to miss your home, friends, and family—being separated from your loved ones for a long time will make anyone feel sentimental and even emotional. Reconnect with them when you can to keep that homesickness at bay.

Technology Is Your Friend

We have amazing resources like social media, video chats, and even simple phone calls to help you feel connected to home. Whether you need a weekly video call with a parent or a group chat with friends, you can still be a part of your family or friend group while you are living far away. The only caveat here is that you don’t want to become too entrenched in the lives of others on social media—stay excited about where you are. Post about your own experiences and keep your friends up to date on what you’re doing; their enthusiasm for you may be all you need.

Reminders of Home

You’re going to try some amazing cuisines and go to many new places when you travel, but if you’re feeling homesick, try eating familiar foods or have a night in. You can also send letters home and ask for packages from your loved ones to feel connected. A favorite snack, printed photos, or even a meaningful trinket can offer a lot of comfort. Having a small reminder of home is an easy way to satisfy the longing you may feel before diving back into the incredible lifestyles and cultures around you.

Finding a Support System

Being homesick can stem from feeling removed from the people who love you, so creating a network of people that you can lean on is a great way to combat those feelings.

Making Friends

You may find yourself pulling away from others and isolating yourself when you’re homesick, and while taking some time alone can be helpful, it’s also essential to build a community you can trust and reach out to for support. Again, there are a lot of students who deal with homesickness, so make friends that can help you feel less alone.

With Take Action Lab, you can connect with each other through the online Foundations course before even arriving at your destination, meaning you have a built-in support system. You also live with your group in co-living houses once you arrive, so not only can you get to know them beforehand, but you also have a system of friends that know exactly what you’re experiencing. You should also try building connections locally, both with folks from the area you are visiting and with your cohort.