How often have you heard somebody say “you’re on holiday, don’t worry about us, enjoy yourself“. As much as travelling is an independent experience that provides so much freedom to you as a traveller, it is only natural that after a while you start to miss the small things at home.

We often miss a holiday destination when we return home, so why do we have this arrogant view of treating homesickness as a weakness.

This is something that became apparent to me throughout 2022 and is something that I started experiencing throughout my travels. I will be the first to admit, it’s a weird thing to experience and can be a challenge to deal with it at first.

Below I have shared the three things I do when travelling to try and eliminate the feeling.

1 – Accept that it is normal to miss home.

It’s normal to miss home when travelling, but it’s important not to let that feeling last too long. If you do, then it can become difficult to adjust to the new life, which will make things even more difficult for you.

If you are travelling for an extended period of time, it’s normal to feel homesick at some point during your trip. The key is to accept that it’s okay to miss home and try not to let your feelings control how happy you feel about travelling.

When you accept this, the feeling of homesickness is no longer something to be feared, but rather something that becomes normalised and very easy to approach and deal with.

2 – Keep yourself busy.

If you find yourself with a spare afternoon and want to spend it at the hotel then go for it, however, this is when homesickness is likely to be at its worst.

Taking something to distract yourself like a book is a great way to avoid the thoughts in your own head and also allows you to learn new things – I now know more about the LEGO group thanks to the book I was reading in Malaga.

If you forget to pack one, most airports have somewhere you can buy one, or if you are travelling by train, most major train stations will have somewhere nearby to purchase one. If you finish it whilst travelling look around and see if there is a book deposit shelf you can leave spare books for others to read.

3 – Avoid social media

Social media is a great tool to share our holiday photos and videos with our friends and family, however, it also provides a direct line into seeing what your friends are doing whilst you are not there.

When this happens you can start to feel excluded from things, as well as reminding you of things at home. For me, avoiding Facebook, Twitter & Instagram is essential to relaxing and disconnecting from home life, allowing me to enjoy the destination I am currently visiting.

I should make clear however, staying in touch with family is important for staying safe and making plans for getting picked up at the airport when you return home, however, I find that using WhatsApp is the best way to communicate (although I do mute the family group chat whilst abroad).

Conclusion

Travelling is a wonderful experience. But there are times when you might feel homesick when you are away from home. Homesickness is often caused by the fact that you miss your family and friends, or that you’re missing home-cooked meals, familiar surroundings and routines.

If you’re feeling homesick while travelling, try to focus on the positives of your trip rather than dwelling on what you’re missing back home. Try not to dwell on any negative thoughts about being away from home for too long — this will only make you feel worse!