Away from home online counselling

By Prapoorna M

Last Updated: November 27, 2021

Whether you are from other part of the world or from just a few miles away, staying away from home actually feels sick and needs to be heard. Many people feel sick when they are away from home but not everyone shows it. Be it a freshman at a distant university or an employee who got job in a new city or may be a newlywed girl, trying to fit in the new environment, everybody misses the place, people and things they are much used to.

Though easier said than done, it is necessary to move on with the changes of life and explore what life holds to unfold for you. In order to cope yourself with such a significant change, by not falling prey to unwanted emotional worries, stress and depression you can take the help of trained counselors through online counseling.
The assurance of anonymity with remote contact makes you feel comfortable to share your worries and experiences. The counseling sessions help you to come out of your problem in an easier way.

A sad student away from home
A sad student away from home

Why being away from home could be a problem?

For anyone, being at a far distant land from home, feels so alone. It is initially tough to leave a group of familiar friends and family and adjust with a large and unfamiliar environment. The main reasons for
home sickness could be like

  • Missing parents
  • Missing home food
  • Missing closeness of loved ones etc.

Along with them, the differences in lifestyle, unhappiness when expectations are not met etc. can also increase the home sickness. Symptoms of homesickness could be like constantly thinking about home,
anxiety, decreased motivation, irritability, unable to have a good time with friends, missing people, things and places at home, loneliness, negative outlook etc.

What problems do such effect brings in?

People with home sickness tend to be so inactive, dull and look resigned. The decreased levels of motivation and moody behaviour makes the situation worse. While this is the time to embrace new changes in life and welcome the surprise gifts that are on the way, being dull and alone makes you stay away from the people around you.

When you can’t mingle and make friends, you can never adjust to the place. It’s people around us who makes things easier for us and help us getting out of that melancholic tone of missing home. When you close the doors behind you to a gloomy day, how can you ever enjoy the sunshine waiting for you? So it’s really needed to make new friends to get acquainted with the place. If you are unable to make it on your own, it would be a great idea to seek the help of an expert who can help you come out it.
Not only the friends of your new college/university, but the academics are also to be taken care of. Being dull and feeling homesick all the time, won’t let you concentrate on the classes and hence the subjects also might not interest you. This way, you are closing the other doors of happiness that encourages you to love the new place. If it’s your new job place, you will definitely miss the chances of making a better impression to your new employer, when you can’t avoid the gloominess of home sickness.

Effects of home sickness:


Many of them who stay in a different country experience culture shock, difficulty with time zones, environmental differences etc. which affect you physically and mentally. You cannot frequently call family because of the time zones and cannot travel often due to the huge distances. The busyness of classes or office schedules won’t allow you to have some personal time to fill the emotional void in heart.
Loneliness can be mostly avoided by keeping ourselves busy and maintaining good rapport with the ones around us. Most of the ones who are away from home feel homesickness but don’t like to mention. So it’s better to share with the ones around and listen to them too.

How to deal with it?

Home sickness can be dealt easily when some simple techniques are followed.

  • Don’t ever feel guilty as if you have done something wrong feeling homesick. It’s quite natural.
  • Don’t be alone for most of the time spending in your room. Isolating yourself from the world around you is not a solution. It reminds you what you miss each and every moment making your life miserable.
  • Don’t keep high expectations. Everyday spent anywhere will almost be the same. From the pictures of social networking sites and the stories you hear, don’t think that everyday will be a celebration. It’s never like that. Every place is meant for something, just enjoy when your time comes.
  • Don’t hesitate to get the things you love along with you, to your new place. Everyone has theirs, but not always shown. Be it your favorite teddy bear or a book or a simple key chain just let them bring back your comfort always, if you feel so.
  • Embrace positivity. Though it is easier said than done, carrying a positive attitude brings a lot of happiness internally, which gifts you good friends and help you combat the homesickness.
  • Don’t hesitate to ask for help from your so-students and lecturers regarding academics. This increases interaction and interest in your academics which is very essential to make yourself comfortable at this new place.
  • A mental health professional or a counselor at the college premises can often lend a sympathetic ear and advice you about how to cope up your home sickness.
  • Being in a very new place and unfamiliar surroundings always make you feel dull. So set your foot out to explore the surroundings. Visit the places nearby, just walk through the streets and get to know the culture and the people around.
Man sitting in a Psychologist's office
Man sitting in a Psychologist’s office

More Tips:

  • Keep in touch with your loved ones at home, but not more than the ones around you here right now. The place and people where you live should be more acquainted rather than the place you left.
  • Keep your health intact always. Being healthy makes you feel better and have a positive outlook towards life.
  • Take your time to explore the campus activities until you meet the one friend you are comfortable with.
  • Participate in different activities conducted at the college/office. One of the best ways is to find your niche in your community by going to campus events like talent shows and game shows etc. that interests you.
  • Getting along with the roommates though you may not be the best friends, makes you feel at home. Be positive and open-minded.
  • Take it slow. It could take a semester or sometimes more to get your home sickness reduced. A counselor helps you come out of your problems. Online counseling helps you to have a word with experts, remotely.
  • Set up a daily schedule to put yourself on top of your responsibilities which also help you cope with your home sickness.
  • Posting your pictures and sharing your experiences with the more or less, same aged cousins also help you get their ideas and suggestions, which make you feel being at home.

While these are some of the ways that are mostly followed to ward off the home sickness, no such activities work for some who get depressed by sudden change of their environment. Such people who are very much attached to their family or friends or someone special tend to miss them always and no matter whatever said or done, will be very tough for them to get along with such changes of their life.

Use of counselling

Counselling services are offered by trained professionals such as psychologists and psychiatrists. They are trained and certified professionals who can provide sessions suggesting different methods and techniques to solve the problems. These professional counselors have unique quality of enjoying helping others being non-judgmental.
Wellness Hub provides you with such a team of experts who are there to offer you a trusted help. Encountering the problems like being very attached to someone, unable to make new friends, having dislike towards social life, not having interest in anything, lack of concentration, unable to adapt changes, depression, stress, worry etc. can all be dealt easier with the help of a great counselor. A trained counselor has good communication skills, can build rapport, accept, empathize, solve problems, and enhance the self-awareness of the people seeking help.

It is obvious that sudden changes in life could resist you from taking a forward step. But taking an expert help in coping with such situations, help you a lot. Highly effective online counselling services like video counseling and phone counseling are provided by Wellness Hub, your trusted friend.

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