Homesickness: Cultural
Cultural Homesickness is the third type of homesickness we are discussing this month, and may be more intense if you are living away from home or away from where you grew up for the first time. While feeling homesick can be difficult, there are ways to plan ahead, identify when you’re feeling homesick, and put your plan into action to help you manage and overcome these feelings.
What is cultural homesickness?
Cultural homesickness, also known as cultural adjustment or cultural disorientation, refers to the emotional and psychological discomfort individuals may experience when they are in a new cultural environment that significantly differs from their home culture. It involves a sense of disconnection, longing, or nostalgia for the cultural aspects, customs, and familiar elements of one's home country or cultural background.
It can include a feeling of disconnection from your home culture, a longing for familiarity with your own cultural elements (and can include food, language, music, clothing, and social customs).
Planning for cultural homesickness
As with experiencing any kind of homesickness, acknowledging that these feelings are common and a normal response to change and separation from familiar cultural environments is an important first step. Accepting that these feelings are likely to occur at different times and to different degrees can help you manage them and get through them when you experience them.
Prepare yourself for a cultural shift
Before you move, learn as much as you can about the culture of the area you are moving to. Understanding cultural norms, values, and customs can help reduce the shock of unfamiliarity. You can also familiarise yourself with local ways of speaking. Even if your new area speaks the same language you do, there is likely to be a different accent and different colloquial or casual speech for you to learn and adjust to.
Stay connected with home
Maintain regular communication with family and friends from home. It can be really useful to plan a schedule with specific people ahead of time so you don’t have to work about organising it once you have moved and are trying to settle in. Planning visits from friends and family, or back home to them, can also help with homesickness.
Bring cultural items with you
Bringing a few items from home with you to your new location can help you retain a sense of connectedness with your home culture. This can include photographs, traditional clothing, music, or other items. Having small cultural reminders can help you maintain a sense of connectedness. You can also plan to celebrate important cultural events in your new location. You may want to seek out and invite others who share your home culture, or invite new friends with whom you can share your culture.
Learn to cook your comfort foods from home
Food homesickness can be a big part of feeling homesick, and knowing how to make the foods that comfort you and make you feel connected to home and your identity can be really powerful ways to manage feelings of homesickness. If there are foods that might be difficult to get in your new location, think about what kind of alternatives might be available, or see if you can bring some of those ingredients with you (or have a family member or friend send them to you).
Join expat or cultural groups
Having a network of other people who are also experiencing cultural shifts can be really helpful. They can provide a sense of community and serve as supports and outlets for discussing your experiences and feelings around being in a new culture. You may also want to join a group specifically focused on your home culture.
Identifying feelings of homesickness
Here are a few indicators that you might be feeling social homesickness
Identifying feelings of homesickness
Here are a few indicators that you might be feeling environmental homesickness
Frequent nostalgia for your home culture, including memories of places, people, events, and traditions.
Longing for familiar foods, especially for specific dishes that are not readily available in your current location.
Feeling isolated due to difficulties connecting with local people.
Feelings of frustration or discomfort due to misunderstandings or conflicts arising from cultural differences.
Struggling with your sense of self-identity due to navigating between your original cultural identity and the need to adapt to a new culture.
Frequently comparing your home culture with the culture in your new location, often focusing on what’s different or missing in a negative light.
Withdrawing from social activities or relationships in your new environment, possibly due to feeling disconnected or struggling to relate to others.
Wrap Up
If you identify with several of these signs, it's likely that you're experiencing cultural homesickness. Recognizing these feelings is an essential first step in addressing them. Coping strategies may include bringing cultural elements from home to your new location, learning to cook (or how to adapt) comforting recipes from your home culture, and finding support from friends or professionals who understand your experience. Remember that cultural homesickness is a common and temporary feeling that often lessens as you become more accustomed to your new surroundings.
Having these plans for managing cultural homesickness helps you manage and get through your emotions, but they don’t stop them from happening. It’s important to recognise and acknowledge the emotions you feel rather than trying to stuff them down and ignore them.
