Living over five hours from home is rough. I find myself feeling homesick often. However, due to the distance and prices of train tickets, I am unable to go home for a weekend and have to wait until scheduled breaks. This could mean months between visiting home and seeing my family.
Whenever I am feeling a bit blue and missing home more than usual here are a few things I do:
Journal
Writing down my thoughts and emotions helps me better understand them. It also just helps me let my feelings out instead of bottling them up. I often find myself feeling much better after journaling.
Call or facetime home
Hoping on a facetime call with my family is often a quick fix to missing them. Talking to them about my day or hearing about theirs helps distract my mind from the time away from them and look forward to being reunited.
Have something to look forward to
Whether it is a concert, a nice dinner, or even just a day to rest and relax, having something on my calendar to look forward to helps me get excited to be at college.
Watch a movie or tv show
On days where I know I just won’t be able to get my mind off missing home, sometimes instead of dwelling on my emotions I try to distract myself. Starting a movie or tv show is a quick way to allow me to calm down for a period of time. It is also super fun to drag a roommate or friend over to watch with you.
Do arts and crafts
Although cheesy, simply doing something creative can really pull me out of a slump. It can be something small like doodling in a notebook or something big like water coloring. A few personal favorites include embroidery, water coloring, and diamond dotting.
Read a book
Reading a book makes me feel so productive and takes my mind away from missing home. It can be something suspenseful, educational, or even romantic. The best part is you can choose a book based on your mood. Sometimes it’s even best to pull out a classic comfort of yours and skim the pages.
Treat yourself
Now, this can be a range of things. For me, I love treating myself to a nice meal, a quick Target trip, or even Starbucks. This can be something small to make me happy.
Be active
Sometimes the best thing I can do for myself when my brain feels like it’s moving a million miles a second is to get my body moving. For me, this is typically going on a walk or working out. I leave both activities feeling motivated and am able to work through some frustrations.
Reset yourself
When I feel overwhelmed by my emotions it calls for a reset. A few favorite ways to provide myself a reset is by taking a shower, nap, or hanging out with friends. After a shower I feel ready to be productive, after a nap I feel refreshed, and after hanging out with friends I feel recharged.
Create a countdown
If nothing is making you feel better sometimes the only thing you can do is create a countdown till you travel home. This can be as easy as writing the days on a whiteboard or tracking it through an app.
Hopefully, some of these activities will help you next time you’re missing home. Just know everyone feels homesick in college at one point and it is perfectly valid to miss home once in a while or often. Everyone is different and everyone’s journey is different—all we can do is make the best of every day.