While traveling assignments are adventurous and fun, the reality is you have to leave behind family, significant others, and even pets so you can work. Extended time away from those that matter can create feelings of loneliness, and that’s totally normal!
To fight all those negative emotions, here are some tips to pick yourself up and stay in touch with everyone back home:
Call Home
Just hearing a family member’s voice can soothe and take some stress off of you. If you work the night shift or work in a different time zone, this could prove difficult to make time for it. The key to this is to make time whenever you have it. Even if it’s only once or twice a week, your family and friends will appreciate the effort, and it may help you feel better, too.
An even better way to feel closer to home is to video chat with your loved ones. Snapchat and Skype make video chatting easy, so make sure your family has all the apps they need to reach you by video, too!
Keep a Diary
Writing down your thoughts is a great way to get things off your chest. For example, if you miss a birthday back at home, write how you felt about it or what you thought it would be like to be there. That way, when you return home and refer to your journal, you won’t forget to ask your family and friends how those events were!
Get Up and Get Out
This one is extremely important! When you’re out on a new assignment, recognize that new opportunities are all around you. A great way to clear your mind is to experience new things. Hike a mountain trail, hit the beach, or tour a museum. Google and Yelp are great resources to find unique and fun activities in your new city.
Join a Social Media Group
Utilize social media to check out local Facebook groups in your new town. This will give you a chance to search more local events, and meet new people who could even be new to the town just like you are! The more people you surround yourself with, the more you’ll feel at home eventually.
We know that frequent traveling can create stress, and we hope this list will help you overcome homesickness if you ever do experience it.
