My #1 hack for defeating homesickness 🏡

I think I’ve stressed the point enough already. Coming to Sweden to study as an international student is no easy feat. In fact, any person who decides to leave home to study in a different place, whether it’s 10 miles or 5000 miles away, will ultimately encounter the same thing – homesickness. I’ve talked extensively in my blogs on the topic, and today, I wanted to share with you my ultimate hack to defeating those oh-so incessant feelings.

If there’s one sentiment that I’ve always held on to since coming to Sweden, it’s the reality that home will always be there. The place that I know and love will always exist, and will welcome me at a moment’s notice. To me, staying in touch with home has become the most important tool in my battle against homesickness. So how do I do that 🤔?

• First, you need the right equipment 🎤

I can’t underscore the importance of this point. When I’m walking the streets of Stockholm, ranting to my mother about the day’s activities or having the occasional ✨mental breakdown✨, the last thing I want to hear her say is “Huh, what was that?” or “I can’t hear you, can you hear me?” Spending a dime or two on a halfway decent pair of earphones for yourself, and the person or people who you talk to on a continuous basis is a very good idea in my estimation. In fact, when I went home during the Christmas holidays, I did just that – brought home a box with a brand-new pair of earbuds and gently threatened my mother to start using them 🥰, and let me tell you, it paid off 😊.

• Use Google Meets, WhatsApp or Facetime 💻

There are all types of videoconferencing tools at our disposal these days. Google Meets (which happens to be my favourite), WhatsApp, and Facetime are just a few of the apps that have found permanent residence on my phone, and I’m sure the phones of several other international students 😂. Use apps that also allow you to share screens and audio so that you can tell stories with illustrations and not just words😂. Also, try to make use of student discounts to get access to premium features associated with some of the applications like Google Meets.

Pro tip: Use an app like Google Meets that easily allows you to switch between devices. Videoconferencing can be pretty energy intensive for your phone, and I don’t think it does your battery any favours. Try to use a computer or tablet where possible to stay on calls.

• Set a schedule…or don’t 🤷🏾‍♂️

I feel like this is the most important tip of all. I quite literally have a roster of persons that I call on certain days. I take time on pretty much every day of the week to contact someone from home, and on many occasions, those calls or casual conversations really turn my bad days around 🥹. It’s also important to remember that scheduling is not always necessary. Never feel like you’re bothering or annoying a parent, sibling or someone special with a call or message. If you have the time and feel like you want to reach out, you should definitely do it. I haven’t lived very long, but one thing I know is that we should never take the people that we have in our lives for granted; never assume that someone will always be there from one day to the next for you to talk to. If you have an inkling, open up. You’d be surprised to know how many people in your life would love a simple message from you, just so they know that you remember them, and that you value your relationship with them 🥹.

These tips have definitely served me well during my time studying in Sweden, and I hope they can do the same for you! Want to read more about coping with studying abroad in Sweden? Read these blog posts by my fellow ambassadors Jazmin and Ravi. Thanks for reading and watch this space for more content!