At Remitly, our number one inspiration is the sacrifice and courage of our customers who often make the decision to live and work in another country. The immigration experience can be difficult, especially because moving your life to a new country is not an easy process. It often comes with logistical difficulties, like paperwork and bureaucracy, and emotional challenges, including homesickness. At Remitly, we’re committed to supporting your journey. Read on to learn about homesickness in the expat community in the UK. This article will discuss its causes and how you can address it when it rears its head during your move to the UK.
Why Homesickness Happens
If you’re at a stage in your life where you’re immigrating to the UK, it’s likely that you have already been through experiences where you’ve felt a bit homesick. Homesickness is a familiar feeling, whether it was caused by a few nights away from home as a child or relocating for a first job. That said, homesickness seems to feel like a new challenge every single time.
Homesickness is a specific term for the feelings of stress, anxiety, and sadness caused by the separation from people and places that you love and are familiar with. It can be experienced by anyone who is away from their previously established routines, regardless of the distance.
The UK is becoming more and more diverse. In fact, in a recent government-conducted census, less than 40% of Londoners identified as “white British.” This is partly because of the number of immigrants attracted to the country’s vibrant culture and diverse offerings. To that end, many people are likely experiencing homesickness in the UK, whether they are young students pursuing their degrees or parents who have moved their families to pursue career growth. The positive side of this is that you’re more likely to be able to connect with people who share your experiences and, perhaps, even your background.
Homesickness and Your Health
Like other mental health challenges, homesickness can be sneaky. Just because you don’t recognise it in yourself doesn’t mean it is not affecting you. It’s important to be on the lookout for signs of homesickness because if it is left unaddressed for long periods of time, it can cause other psychological symptoms and even turn into depression. Identifying the symptoms of homesickness is a good way to be proactive about your mental wellness. Some of the common physical and behavioral symptoms of homesickness are:
- Disturbed sleeping patterns. If you’ve moved to the UK and are suffering from an inability to sleep that’s lasted longer than two weeks, it might be more than jetlag. People who are experiencing homesickness often experience insomnia or a desire to sleep for much longer than usual.
- Nausea or nervousness. Remember, homesickness is just a specific type of anxiety, so it can come with a lot of the classic signs of nervousness. If you’re feeling on edge or even have physical symptoms like stomach aches, indigestion, or nausea, it could be because of homesickness.
- Isolation or withdrawing. Each item on your to-do list can feel like a major hurdle when you’ve moved to a new place. When the day is done, you may have little energy or motivation to socialise and find new communities. However, if you’re feeling absolutely no desire to interact with other people despite your exciting move to a new place, this might be a sign of homesickness.
- Headaches. Stress is one of the underlying feelings of homesickness. Having unexplained headaches are a physical sign of the stress associated with homesickness. Unfortunately, headaches can be exacerbated by a disrupted sleep pattern.
- Feelings of insecurity or panic. If your homesickness is acute, you may experience feelings of insecurity or panic related to the unfamiliarity with your new surroundings and community.
- Feelings of low self-esteem or self-worth. Sometimes, our mind outsources feelings of homesickness by attaching the stress, anxiety, and sadness to another cause—ourselves. Homesickness can sometimes cause unexplainable feelings of low self-esteem or self-worth.
- Lack of appetite. If you’re not feeling hungry or have noticed a change in your eating habits, homesickness could be to blame. When the body is stressed, the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, is produced. This hormone is known to suppress hunger.
Practical Tips for Avoiding Homesickness in the UK
Now, you know how to identify the signs of homesickness, but what practical steps can you take if you start to feel them? Here are some best practices for nipping homesickness in the bud with some UK-specific resources:
- Stay connected with family and friends. Make sure you can instantly contact your loved ones by text, call, or video call if need be. If the time difference with your home country makes it difficult to keep in touch, consider other ways of staying up-to-date with your loved ones, like maintaining active social media accounts, emailing, or sending a handwritten letter or mailing a parcel. The Royal Mail aims to deliver internationally in seven days or less.
- Engage in familiar cultural activities. If there are holidays and festivals in your home country that you love, chances are there are people within the UK community celebrating those as well. Seek out events that create a space for you to engage in cultural activities that are important to you. Every year, the West Indian festival of Carnival is celebrated in Notting Hill. And Leicester has some of the best Diwali celebrations outside of India.
- Establish a routine. Creating a routine is a great way to create predictability in your life, which will ultimately lessen the feelings of stress and anxiety that underpin homesickness. This tip is especially helpful to any expats who don’t have much routine built into their day-to-day lives, like digital nomads or freelancers. As you develop your daily routine, make sure to include dedicated time to engage with the culture and community.
- Join community groups and events. If communities are already built into your life, like your office or your children’s school, see if there are ways to get further involved. Otherwise, try to take part in events that align with your hobbies and interests so that you can connect with like-minded people. On the UK government website, you can input your postal code to find befriending groups, community groups, and even lunch clubs in your area.
- Learn British English. Regardless of your fluency level in English, learning from a textbook or language application is not the same as picking up on a language’s idioms and local slang. Engaging with the nuances of British English will help you integrate into society. You can find British English tutors online if you want to start your preparation before you immigrate or you can search for someone to meet with in-person once you’re in the UK.
An average timeline for homesickness
There is no set duration for feelings of homesickness. Some people might feel better after a few days, while others might feel the effects of homesickness for much longer. The important thing to remember is that you can be actionable about mitigating feelings of homesickness. Additionally, the feelings of homesickness tend to subside as you become more familiar with your surroundings, community, and routines.
You can shorten the effects of homesickness by avoiding the extremes: you don’t want to do too much or too little when you’re assimilating to a new place. Don’t overbook yourself or take on more activities and commitments than you can handle. Having enough downtime to prioritise your basic needs, like sufficient sleep and healthy meals, is crucial to overcoming homesickness.
On the other hand, staying in your own apartment or house all day and not going outside or interacting with others can exacerbate homesickness. Within your daily routine, try to build in some activities where you get some fresh air and put yourself in situations where you will have to interact, even if minimally, with locals. This could be taking a daily walk in the park or going to a local cafe every morning.
Leveraging Existing Support Systems and Building New Ones
The main contributor to homesickness is missing your friends and family in your home country. Having these people to miss means you already have a support system to leverage. Don’t be afraid to confide in your closest friends and family about any feelings of homesickness that you may be experiencing.
If you don’t already have an existing relationship with a mental health professional, it could be worthwhile to meet with a practitioner before you immigrate to help prepare you for the big changes that you will experience. If you’ve already made the move to the UK and are seeking mental health support, you can find providers through the National Health Service (NHS) or connect with groups and clubs.
It’s important to remember that you can fit into a new country while also maintaining your own cultural identity. The UK is a diverse country that is relatively welcoming to immigrants, a population responsible for major contributions to the culture and economy. Although it might sometimes feel difficult to be far away from home, it’s possible to make the UK a place where you’re comfortable, too.
Connecting with other immigrants
Connecting with other immigrants is a great way to experience your home culture outside of your home country. You can connect with other immigrants at places of worship, community centers, cultural events, and niche neighborhoods. For example, London’s Southall neighborhood has strong Indian and Pakistani roots and is often referred to as “Little Punjab” or “Little India.”
If you’d like to anonymously connect with other people going through the trials and tribulations of immigrating to the UK, message boards like Reddit are a great place to start.
Remember to balance out your connection with your home culture and find ways to integrate it into your new culture in the UK!
FAQs
What is homesickness?
Homesickness is the emotional distress or anxiety that occurs when a person is away from home or familiar surroundings. It often includes feelings of sadness, loneliness, and longing for home.
How long does homesickness last?
The duration varies. Some may feel better in a few days, while others take months to adjust fully. Actively engaging in new activities and maintaining connections with loved ones from home can help speed up the process.
What are some ways to cope with homesickness?
Stay connected to friends and family from home, create a solid routine, make new friends, stay busy, and focus on the positive aspects of your new environment.
Can homesickness affect physical health?
In some severe cases, homesickness can lead to physical symptoms like headaches, loss of appetite, fatigue, and trouble sleeping. Managing stress and maintaining self-care routines can help prevent these effects.
