Handling homesickness

Whether you’re about to leave University or excited to get onto campus for the first time, homesickness can affect us all.

I’ve certainly felt it before and never really understood what I can do to get back to being myself again – here are a few tips to help whether you’re missing your dog or your mum’s famous casserole!

What is Homesickness?

According to GoodTherapy.org, homesickness can feel similar to grief, and a person experiencing homesickness is grieving the temporary—or sometimes permanent—loss of the comforts of home. We’ve all felt homesickness at one point or another during University life and it really is nothing to be ashamed of or worried about! Sometimes it could just be little things that you miss, or you could be missing your mum’s famous home-cooked dinners (because contrary to popular belief, Pot Noodles just won’t cut it!). For a lot of people, this is the first time moving away from home and it can all be a bit scary. With that in mind, I have compiled a list of a few things that you can do to avoid feeling low and get the most out of your experience here at Lincoln.

Ways you can combat ‘Feeling Low’

1. Don’t give yourself a hard time

Remember – it’s absolutely okay to not be okay. Don’t get too hung up on the fact that you’re feeling low. Things do (and will!) get better, so try and put things into perspective to help you feel a little bit better and make the sad times that little bit easier.

2. Bring home comforts

Bringing something to help you remember home will help you not miss it as much. Having a little piece of where you came from always helps. Whether it’s a picture of your parents, a blanket or even a recipe to a family-secret dish, bring ’em to uni! I’ve got myself thinking about my dad’s Shepard’s Pie…I’m hungry.

3. Don’t spend too long in your room

One of the worst things you can do is sit and feel sorry for yourself. Whilst it is sometimes necessary, try to get out of your room. Even sitting in the living room instead can make a huge difference to your mentality because you’re around different and new people.

4. Socialise & Explore!

If the saying ‘Home is Where the Heart is’ is true, then make Lincoln your 2nd home! One of the best things to do when you’re feeling down is going out and doing things with friends or like-minded people. Doing stuff you enjoy will take the stress out of your day and make you feel a whole lot better. There are so many things to do in Lincoln and so many societies/activities to be apart of – there will be something for you!

There you are! Just a few ways you can help stop homesickness getting you down so you can get the most out of your experience at Uni. Below are a few links to pages I’ve used for support and help me write this article. Hey, whilst I’m sharing, there’s also the BRAND NEW ‘Fresher Take’ Podcast that you can listen to, too (that I may or may not be a host of! Apologies for the shameless plug – it’s really helpful!). If you want to get a few more tips on how to cope with homesickness, then give it a listen on:

http://freshertake.buzzsprout.com/