How to manage homesickness in an individual?

From the Guidelines

To manage homesickness effectively, it is essential to involve children in the decision to spend time away from home, educate them about homesickness, and provide explicit coping instructions, as these strategies have been shown to be highly effective in reducing homesickness intensity 1.

Strategies for Managing Homesickness

Some effective strategies for managing homesickness include:

• Doing something fun, such as playing with friends, to forget about homesick feelings (distraction and social connection) 1
• Doing something to feel closer to home, such as writing a letter or looking at a family picture (contact with home) 1
• Going to see someone who can talk with you to help you feel better (social support) 1
• Thinking about the good side of things, such as activities and friends, to feel better (optimism) 1
• Thinking that time away is actually pretty short to make time go by faster (perspective) 1

Involving Children in the Decision-Making Process

Involving children in the decision to spend time away from home can increase their perceptions of control and reduce homesickness intensity 1. This can be done by:

• Discussing the upcoming separation with your child and explaining that homesickness is normal 1
• Involving your child in the planning stages of the separation, such as packing and preparing together 1
• Encouraging your child to make new friends and seek the support of trusted adults in the new environment 1

Maintaining Contact with Home

Maintaining contact with home can be beneficial for children experiencing homesickness, but the type and frequency of contact should be dictated by the goals of the separation 1. For example:

• During short stays away from home, such as summer camp, telephone calls and instant messaging may exacerbate homesickness, while old-fashioned letters may be a better way to maintain contact with home 1
• During longer separations, such as boarding school or college, scheduled telephone calls and one-way emails from parent to child may not interfere with enjoyment of the experience and may even be associated with less homesickness 1

From the Research

Managing Homesickness

To help someone with homesickness, it's essential to understand the factors that contribute to this condition. Homesickness is characterized by preoccupying thoughts of home and attachment objects, and it can be subjectively distressing with significant cognitive, emotional, and behavioral sequelae 2.

Strategies for Reduction

Several strategies can help reduce homesickness, including:

• Combining environmental information, psychoeducation, social support, explicit coping instruction, caregiver education, practice time away from home, and surrogate caregiver training 2
• Using approach-oriented regulatory strategies to manage mood 3
• Fostering closer ties in the new environment, such as college or university, while maintaining healthy relationships with family and friends back home 3, 4
• Encouraging self-disclosure, which can help individuals adapt to new environments and reduce homesickness 5

Social Context and Homesickness

Homesickness can be triggered by social interactions, particularly those involving attachment figures such as family members 4. It's essential to consider the social context in which homesickness occurs and provide support accordingly.

Prevention and Treatment

Prevention and treatment strategies for homesickness can help individuals, especially university students, adjust to new environments and reduce the risk of mental health problems 6. By understanding the factors that contribute to homesickness and using effective strategies to manage it, individuals can have a healthy, gratifying, and productive experience in their new environment.

Key Factors

Key factors to consider when helping someone with homesickness include:

• The individual's emotional state and ability to cope with stress
• The quality of their relationships with family and friends back home and in the new environment
• Their ability to self-disclose and form new social connections
• The availability of social support and resources to help them adapt to the new environment 2, 3, 4, 6, 5