Homesickness can strike at any time. It’s that lump in the chest, fear of missing out, and feeling that you’re further away from home than ever before…no matter how far you actually live.

Dealing with homesickness isn’t easy, especially during the holidays and special occasions, and everyone is going to deal with it differently. This is my list of eight little ways to fight homesickness that have genuinely helped me this year.

Keep reading to learn:

1. Homesickness as an Expat
2. 8 Little Ways to Fight Homesickness
3. Preparing to Move Abroad?

Homesickness as an Expat

We all have our reasons for living abroad, and no matter how many amazing things come with being an expat, there’s always going to be some hard times…and the holidays can feel especially tough.

During those times when people back home come together to be with family and friends, living abroad can feel farther away than ever. Whilst we try and get home for the holidays when we can, for a lot of years it just isn’t possible. Even when you’re spending those times doing something fun or surrounded by loved ones, there’s always going to be a little twinge of homesickness.

For me, life in Japan is so different from December back in the UK. From the weather to the customs and especially the food, I often find this time of year particularly difficult. At the same time, however, I have spent enough years living away from home to have figured out how to fight homesickness and feel closer to home (even if I’m super far away).

8 Little Ways to Fight Homesickness

There are a few more obvious ways to deal with homesickness like phoning friends, facetiming family, and having your next trip planned…but don’t overlook the silly little things. I’ve found that implementing lots of tiny things into my day has been the best way to feel a little less homesick, and I hope some of the items on this list can help you too:

1. Use a VPN (and not an Ad-Blocker)

Bear with me on this one because it’s probably not going in the direction you think…I use a VPN to get adverts and commercials from home when I’m online. When I’m watching YouTube videos or scrolling social media, I find English ads oddly comforting – particularly at Christmas. They’re so specifically British that they transport me straight into my parent’s living room and make me feel like I’m not almost 6,000 miles away.

I know it sounds silly, but watching commercials from home has been one of my favourite ways to fight homesickness this holiday period.

2. Watch TV Shows Airing in Real-Time

Now that you have the VPN installed, you might as well use it. Watching TV shows from home is another great way to feel a little less homesick…and I don’t just mean dramas on Netflix. Watching shows that are airing in real time on normal telly helps me to be a part of the conversation back at home and really ‘in the loop’ that I’m not usually in on.

Right now, I’m watching ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ as it’s coming out each day. Is it dumb reality TV? Yes. Does it fight the homesickness? Absolutely.

3. Plan Your Holiday Meals

So much of the holiday period revolves around food. In the UK, the big meal is Christmas Dinner and the years that I miss it…well, I really miss it. If you’re in a similar situation to me, then it might be hard to get the same ingredients and supplies you need for a traditional holiday meal, however, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat well!

It might be a very untraditional meal or made up of nothing but junk food and snacks, but whatever you choose to eat, plan it in advance. Make preparations to have a meal you’re genuinely excited to eat and don’t forget to treat yourself. For my first Christmas away from home I had a giant cheese board for dinner and loved every bite of it.

4. Decorate Your Space

You might live alone or in a tiny apartment or not plan on having any visitors over the holidays, however, I still say go ahead and decorate. I bought a small fake Christmas tree in 2022 and it will be going up for its 3rd Christmas year. Why? Because it reminds me that it’s the holidays.

It’s so easy to forget that it’s the festive season when you don’t live in a place with the same traditions and celebrations. Then, when you see your loved ones celebrating back at home, it can leave you feeling more left out than ever. Spending an hour or two decorating your space is fun and brings a little piece of where you grew up into your home now.

5. Sing Songs from Home at Karaoke

I love karaoke. I especially love putting on dumb English songs that at least half of my friends have never heard before and singing my heart out. It brings me joy and reminds me of home and, even better, gets any other Brit in the room up on their feet to sing the songs with me.

If karaoke isn’t your thing, you can always sing those old familiar songs at home or in the shower. Even just playing them out loud and listening silently is a lovely way to push against homesickness.

6. Tell Stories About Home

This one is a little more sappy, but I promise it works. Share things about home with the people you care about wherever you are now. It might be what the holidays were like for you growing up, an anecdote about a friend or family member, or just vague general knowledge that they probably don’t care that much about but that feels good to share.

Talking about home is a great way to fight homesickness because it brings home to you. Instead of feeling like a past life, it helps you relive and share those memories in the present not to mention helping the circle of people in your current home get to know you better.

7. Play Video Games with Friends and Family

Obviously, calls and facetiming make a huge difference – but have you tried activity calls? Think back to Covid times when we’d do quizzes, play video games, or all get together virtually for a game of Jackbox. Those calls were some of the most fun and memorable that entire two years because it felt like more than just a conversation.

I’m not a big gamer, but I do like playing Mario Kart with my siblings or doing a holiday quiz with my friends. Again, I know these are silly things, but I 100% guarantee they’ll leave you smiling and laughing so much more than just talking on the phone.

8. Send Cards and Presents

A big reason that I feel homesick during the holidays is that I feel left out. I can’t be there physically to take part in celebrations and the FOMO (fear of missing out) strikes pretty hard. One way I get around this is by sending greeting cards and gifts to people back home so that when they’re opening presents, I am a part of the process.

Bringing a smile to my loved ones’ faces from a whole continent away makes a difference. I love finding ways to surprise them and making sure they feel my love all the way from here and even an inexpensive present or e-card are small tokens to send them my thoughts. Plus, I get to look forward to the gifts arriving and getting opened.

Preparing to Move Abroad?

If you’re getting ready to move abroad, then you’ve come to the right place. I have a lot of experience leaving home (I’ve moved away three different times to three different continents) and am here to promise you that you can do it! Being an expat is such a unique experience, and the things you’ll learn about yourself are some of the most influential lessons of your life.

Start by reading my guide to making a new city feel like home to prepare yourself for the change, and take a look at my recent posts on life abroad.