6 Tips for Dealing with Loneliness and Homesickness While Traveling

Loneliness and homesickness is a struggle that most travelers or expats face at some point in your journey. The feeling of being homesick can strike anyone, whether you are traveling for two weeks, two years, or living in a foreign country as an expat. When you do come across the feeling of homesickness and loneliness while traveling, sometimes it is hard to shake it and it can really damper your mood and experiences within that country. Nobody wants to feel these lonely and isolating feelings when they should be having the adventure of as lifetime. I have provided 6 tips that I have personally used that have helped me shake the feeling of being homesick and lonely while both traveling and living abroad.

It wasn’t until I started traveling the world that I started to realize how unique and special my city is. When I told people from all different countries where I was from, almost every single one had heard about this city before and wanted to visit it for its “Mardi Gras”, “jazz music”, “ghost stories”, “voodoo and black magic” and “famous food”. Seeing your friends back home on social media posting about what they are doing back home may make you feel like you are missing out and that you should be there too, instead of across the world sitting by yourself in an empty hostel feeling lonely. My absolute favorite holiday is Mardi Gras, and I have made a pledge with myself that every year when I am not home celebrating with everyone else, I would delete Instagram off my phone. Right when I open up my instagram in the few weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, all I see all over everyones stories are bands marching down the street, floats throwing things to the crowd, people partying on Bourbon Street, and dozens and dozens of pictures at parades. Seeing this makes me SO homesick and wishing that I could celebrate my favorite holiday. Sometimes, it is healthy to just delete or take a break from all of social media and really focus on yourself and remember why you started traveling in the first place. It is important to realize  how far you have come (both mentally and physically) and what you have learned, instead of being stuck on the lives of your friends and family and what they are doing back home. And remember, social media is not always what is seems and only shows the good parts in life rather than the struggles that come in life.

Keep yourself busy

I personally find that keeping busy is a key method to getting over homesickness feelings and can help you feel positive and motivated again to continue traveling. Sometimes when you are stuck in a funk and miss home and feel lonely, you don’t appreciate the fact that you are in a beautiful new country or that you are given the chance and experience of a life time. Homesickness can just make you feel stuck and regret moving or traveling, so it is important to get yourself out of this funk by keeping yourself busy and by doing activities that make you happy.

Whether its taking a nice walk in a park, trying something you have never tried before, or going to a new bar, make sure to keep yourself moving and don’t spend too much downtown alone. Try to engage yourself with fellow travelers and expats, as many of them are probably even going through similar experiences and feelings and can relate to you. Make it a goal to explore someplace new and find unhidden gem within your city or wherever you are traveling through. Once you really start having fun, your mind will shift to different things and you will not keep thinking about how much you miss home

If you spend so much time constantly confiding in your friends and family back home, it can prevent you from mingling and building those friendships that are necessary in a new place. I am not saying to never contact people from home, but do not let your social life be committed to FaceTime calls to the point where you are not making the most of your experiences and start to miss out on the things around you. It is good to know the right balance between talking to people from home and building/making those friendships in your new location.

Plan to visit back home or find a specific end date for your travels

I find that as long as I have a set date to visit home, whether it be for Christmas, Easter, or for summer break, if you are feeling very homesick, a trip home could be good for the soul and might be just what you need. Having that set date, even if it is still a few months away, can make you feel more relieved as well as give you something to anticipate and be excited about. 

Once you have a set end date to your travels or a trip planned back home, you can begin your countdown and this may provide some relief and reassuring feelings that you can make it through this hard time of feeling lonely and homesick. For me personally living in Dubai, I always seem to struggle the balance of traveling around the world on my time off  or visiting home and my family. On one hand, you want to take advantage of the limited time you have abroad, so you want to visit new surrounding destinations. However, it is just as important to visit home and see your loved ones every so often and rekindle those relationships.

which include things such as the loneliness experienced while traveling, especially solo, as well as the homesickness many people face and do not know how to deal with Embrace these feelings as they are completely normal and common but do not let them stop you from completing your journey and making the most of your time abroad. 

Take a rest day

Sometimes, when feeling lonely and sad, all we need is a rest day to rejuvenate and relax. This is not just while traveling, but for any point in your life when you are struggling. Treat yourself to a spa day or simply just Netflix and chill. It is important to practice self  care always, but specifically while you are feeling lonely and homesick. For me, I tend to get homesick in the evening just after I have called my mom and have an empty night where I am just sitting at home not doing much and have a lot of downtown to think about how much I miss things from my home. After having a nice sleep, I wake up feeling better refreshed, thankful for where I am,  and ready to conquer another day of traveling and exploring. Sometimes, we get so worn out from the constant go that comes with traveling (and all the energy that it takes), that is leads us to exhaustion. All we need is a little break and a rest day to get ourselves back on track. Do not feel bad abut yourself or like a failure for simply taking a rest day or days as it is important and will help you to keep going.

             If you are really feeling homesick and lonely and you find that it does not subside after a few days and after trying some of these tips, never be afraid to talk to someone about how you are feeling. Even if it is just another traveler you meet on the road, I promise you that many people are going through these same feelings and it is completely normal. I find that the more I travel, the more I grow and mature as an individual, so these feelings are easier for me to cope with and get past. If you are experiencing homesickness for the first time, it can be a strange and foreign feeling that many are not sure how to deal with. Make sure to reach out to your loved ones and friends as they may be able to offer some advice and make you feel better. I always personally find that asking other friends who travel regularly or have moved to a new city or country can relate to me the most and have most likely been in this situation at one point or another and are the ones to give the best guidance and advice. The most important thing is to remember why you even left home to begin this journey in the first place and to focus on all of the positive aspects and results that you have experienced already. Hang onto those while the negative feeling and emotions subside. Never give up on yourself just because you feel homesick, as these feeling will eventually be replaced with an overwhelming happiness and satisfaction about all that you have done and accomplished and you will feel on top of the world again.