Some of us know homesickness and some of us do not. Or maybe you have experienced homesickness before and did not know how to identify it. Personally, I think it is a universal feeling that gets very subsided by wanting to make the most out of our lives in the present moment. College move-in, starting a new job, moving away from home, breakups, parents divorcing, and more can correlate with homesickness.
Good Therapy, an online therapy organization, defines homesickness as, “A strong longing for home or a person associated with home, such as a parent or sibling.” The site then explains that homesickness can feel a lot like grief. That it’s a normal emotion, but it can interfere with our adjustment to life and normal functioning. It can lead you to become anxious, depressed, cry often.
It is important to note that homesickness is not a mental illness, but it can exacerbate different mental health conditions.
No matter what experience anyone has had, feeling homesick is almost insurmountable. Especially at the beginning of each school semester. It is as though there is no escaping the feeling of wanting to be in the comfort of something else than you are currently in. Even if you think you haven’t experienced ‘homesickness, I am sure that there is a time in everyone’s lives when they can remember the feeling of wanting someone or something comforting that you can’t reach or have.
But I think the point of this feeling, in my own metaphysical interpretation, is to remind us that we are human. That we have feelings, connections and attachments. Along with these human normalities, we are creatures of habit.
We are so prone to what we know, of course, we are going to have trouble leaving it. So, homesickness, instead of letting it absorb your routines and emotions, maybe put it into the role of just an emotion that you are feeling. It’s still a valid, scary emotion even if it leaves you uncertain.
This goes for all emotions as well. An important reminder, when you are feeling too much of one thing, is to remember the feeling will come and eventually leave.
I hope that this was helpful because at least, this is what I try to tell myself. I also recommend this song, for when you are feeling this way, coincidentally named homesickness.