Some Tips To Help You Cope With Homesickness!
Feeling homesick is part of the ‘living abroad’ experience. Homesickness is quite normal. Whether you are living, working or just traveling around Korea, you’re bound to feel homesick once in awhile. It’s natural to miss your family, friends, food and culture especially when you’re away for an extended period of time.
In fact, according to one definition: homesickness is essentially an acute form of anxiety or emotional distress that results from feeling disconnected from familiar people and places.
Expect to feel homesick, when you tadalafil goedkoop first arrive in Korea. Although typical it can be challenging nonetheless.
You may find adjusting to your new environment taxing at first and will miss home. However, most foreigners in Korea experience severe homesickness around the 3 months mark. For many others it also happens at 6 months.
If you find yourself constantly comparing everything with ‘back home’, rejecting the local food, social life and ‘hate’ everything about Korea….there is a good possibility that you are suffering from ‘homesickness’.
In this post, I will talk about various strategies you can use to cope with homesickness.
Get a hobby/Join a club
Keep yourself busy. When your days are full of things you plan on doing, you really don’t have time to sit around and think. You’ll start to enjoy the place more and miss home less. If you are busy your day will fly by and you won’t feel homesick because you won’t have time to think about home.
Take up hobbies, learn something new, find a social circle (club, class or informal group of friends). Doing some volunteer work might be the thing for you. There are judo, taekwondo, hapkido, language institutes, and health clubs on every corner in South Korea. It’s a great way to meet new, like-minded individuals.
Meet new people/Make friends
Another way to combat homesickness is by meeting new people and making new friends. You can learn about a new culture and language. It can be a great opportunity to get involved in the local culture. Make friends with your co-workers, people in you club or in your church. Share food and drinks. Talk to them about your feelings and allow them to share their experiences with you for some insight on how to overcome the negative feelings.
Cook for yourself / Find places that serve food you are used to
Even if you love Korean food, you probably still miss some of your favorite meals from back home. Food is one of the biggest causes of homesickness for almost everyone living abroad. I know some foreigners who constantly complain about how Korea doesn’t have things that they are used to. It’s not entirely true. It depends on your location. Most big cities have decent western style restaurants and places like Seoul and Daejeon also have Costco. But if you end up in a small town, then you’re out of luck!
If you do end up in a backwater town don’t worry! You can always take a bus or train up to Seoul and satisfy your craving.
Or try cooking at home. You probably won’t find the exact ingredients you are used to but you can find plenty of ingredients to substitute. It might not taste exactly the same but there is no greater comfort than eating a warm, home cooked meal when you’re feeling down.
Get in touch with the Expat community
Sometimes, you need a friend who understands when you just need to complain or talk about what it means to be a foreigner in ‘the land of morning calm’. Regardless of how many good Korean friends you have, they won’t understand it the same way another foreigner will. This is where your local expat community comes into play.
Trust me! EVERY town has a local expat community. It tadalafil goedkoop doesn’t matter if the town has 5 foreigners or 50….. Look hard enough and you will find them…..congregating together while sipping beer….
Hangout with the expat community in your town. Having a few friends who come from a similar background and have similar viewpoints can make you feel less alone and homesick. Possibly they’re going through a similar process, or have experienced something like it in the past and may be able to give you the support you need.
But you shouldn’t restrict your entire social life to other foreigners. At times, hanging out too much with the expat community can have a negative impact. Venting from time to time is normal but nitpicking every chance you get is unhealthy. It harbors negativity and turn a potentially good experience into a miserable one. Try to develop a more balanced view and enjoy your adventure.
Learn the language/ Get to know your surroundings
Learning the language will make your life a whole lot easier. Trust me! Take the time to study the language. If you do not like learning it the traditional way like me, make Korean friends, hang out with them and learn the language.
Learning the language helps provide the necessary tools needed to survive in the country. Not only does learning Korean opens the window to a better understanding of the culture but it is essential for your day to day life.
It will also help you to meet the locals in your neighborhood and make friends with your neighbors. Learning the language will break down barriers and help you cope with homesickness.
Call home
Talking to your friends and family, listening to familiar voices and being able to see your family via Skype can go a long way in overcoming homesickness. Set aside a time each week where you can relax and chat with your family.
Korea has fast internet and it’s really cheap. Korea also has free wi-fi zones everywhere. So keeping in touch with family and friends is not a problem at all. Hearing a friendly voice can help you feel better.
But remember sometimes being ‘too connected’ is a bad thing. Don’t call home every time there’s a problem. It will only make your family worry about you and you will end up not enjoying your time in Korea.
Instead tadalafil goedkoop set aside time each week to call your loved ones. Plan ahead, enjoy time with your family and friends. Reach out to them when you need encouragement.
Pamper yourself/ Treat yourself once in awhile
Who does not enjoy a road trip or love a spa or some good old fashioned shopping spree….take time out once in awhile to treat yourself. Everyone needs pampering. Since you don’t have your family and friends in Korea to spoil you….go out and pamper yourself!
Do something you enjoy…get some ‘me’ time. If you have a especially difficult week, allow yourself some downtime. It may sound simple but it really works!
Some people take pills (anti-depressants) or drink too much. Popping pills is NOT the solution. Don’t reach for chemical solutions. Instead of sitting at home alone and feeling sorry for yourself, go out and enjoy the sunshine. Take control of your feelings and cope with them in a positive way. Things do get better! Before you know it you will be back in love with 대한민국 ‘Daehan Minguk’!