Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away and for a lot of college kids they might be heading home for the first time since moving to school. As an out of state student, who had never moved once until freshman year, this is normally when the year starts to take an impact on us mentally. Especially when it comes to living in the Pacific Northwest, the gloomy weather definitely doesn’t help. When I was a freshman I never personally felt super homesick, but along with my schoolwork and not seeing my parents and friends from home for so long, this is when it got the hardest for me last year. But for some people they have to go even longer without being at home. This can be hard on a lot of kids, but there are a few things you can do to make these times a little easier for yourself.
Whenever I felt the most alone I spent a lot of my time with my friends, roommate, or talking on the phone with my parents or my best friend from home. Doing this helped me feel less alone and would put me in a better mood. Even for us introverts, you don’t want to be alone all the time. Especially when you already feel sad and alone, this is when you need someone the most. Just having someone to talk to can make you feel a lot better about your current situation.
Another thing I missed a lot from home was food. I’m Indian and both of my parents were born and raised in India, so the food I grew up eating was very different than the food offered in the dining halls. And where I lived we didn’t have a kitchen in the dorm so we couldn’t cook anything either, which only made things harder. One thing you can do is order a food that you’re missing, from a local restaurant. By ordering a certain type of food that you’re familiar with, that can give you a sense of comfort that you’re looking for.
For those who don’t have the opportunity to go home or see their family and friends often, it is important to bring things from home that hold a special place in your heart. This can include things like photos, décor or room accessories that remind you of certain people, items given to you by close people in your life, etc. Since you’re not able to go home very much, making your current living space homey can help with feeling down. If you’re not comfortable with your living space it’s going to have an impact on your life.
Times get hard and for those of us experiencing that right now, just know it gets better. By doing things like keeping yourself busy, surrounding yourself with people who care about you, staying in touch with family and friends from home, and putting yourself in a new place that feels like home you can make these times easier on yourself. Your mental health is very important and hopefully by following one of these tips you can ease yourself of feeling homesick, or at least temporarily.