10 Tips to Help You Tackle Homesickness while on Assignment
As a traveling healthcare professional, you may find yourself grappling with homesickness, a common challenge among those who frequently move for work. With assignments typically lasting 13 weeks and often in locations away from loved ones, it’s understandable to feel disconnected. However, there are ways to navigate this emotional hurdle and enhance your experience. At Malone Healthcare, we recognize the difficulties of homesickness, which is why we have compiled ten thoughtful suggestions to make your temporary residence feel more like home.
Create a Home Away from Home
Transforming your temporary residence into a comfortable and familiar space can provide stability. Bring personal items like photographs, decorations, or favorite bedding to make your living space feel more like home. Establishing a routine can also contribute to a sense of normalcy in an otherwise dynamic lifestyle.
Furry Friends
It’s no secret that animals can provide great companionship when you’re feeling lonely. Studies show that animals can help us through difficult situations and help with feelings of isolation. Your furry friends are family, too! Just double-check with your housing to ensure you can bring them with you!
Stay Connected
Regularly contact your family and friends via phone, video chats, and social media. Distance can be hard for so many reasons. To help keep your friends and family closer, schedule FaceTime dates. This could include having dinner over video chat, cooking a meal, virtual happy hour, or even virtual book club! Doing so can help you feel more connected to home and provide the emotional support you need to thrive in your new adventure.
Create a Routine
Establishing a daily routine can give you a sense of stability and normalcy. It can also help you focus on your work and quickly adapt to your new environment. Regular routines encourage productivity. This can be anything from waking up early in the morning and going to the gym or for a walk or scheduling time for yourself after your shift is over to decompress.
Explore Your Surroundings
Engaging with the local community can be a powerful antidote to homesickness. Attend local events, explore nearby attractions, and immerse yourself in the culture of your temporary home. Making connections outside of work can create a sense of belonging and help you build a support network in your new environment.
Socialize with Colleagues
Get to know your coworkers and other healthcare professionals in your new location. It’s important you have a support system, which can be especially beneficial when it’s a peer who’s in a similar scenario. Talking to the travelers you meet on assignment can provide a unique perspective that aligns with your experience. Building relationships and socializing can help you feel more integrated and less isolated.
Practice Self-Care
The demands of the healthcare profession and the challenges of being away from home can take a toll on your well-being. Prioritize self-care by maintaining healthy habits, such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient sleep. Establishing a self-care routine can contribute to emotional resilience and help combat feelings of homesickness. Practicing self-care involves everything listed above but also carving out time for yourself. This can involve taking a cooking class, booking yourself a massage, going for a hike, taking an art class, reading a book, or even taking yourself out for dinner. As long as YOU are the priority, you are practicing self-care!
Set Goals
Consciously set personal and professional goals for your time away. Focusing on achieving these goals can give you a sense of purpose and accomplishment. The best way to start is by establishing SMART Goals for yourself. SMART Goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Clarifying these parameters in relation to your goal ensures that your objectives can be achieved within a specific timeframe.
Plan Visits
If possible, plan occasional visits from family and friends to spend time together and create cherished memories. Visits don’t have to be long vacations – weekend trips are the perfect way to help combat homesickness without the burden of traveling for extended amounts of time. If weekend trips don’t work with your work schedule, finding a time when you have off or when your family and friends have off can be good for a mid-week visit!
Seek Support
If your feelings of homesickness become overwhelming, don’t hesitate to seek support from a therapist or counselor. They can help you cope with your emotions and provide strategies to manage homesickness. If you are a Malone traveler, you can access Drew Davis, our Employee Care Manager. Drew’s role involves providing guidance, mediating conflicts, offering resources, and implementing employee well-being and personal development programs.
Remember that homesickness is a natural feeling and often lessens over time as you become more accustomed to your new surroundings. By staying connected, establishing routines, and caring for your well-being, you can make your experience as a traveling healthcare professional more enjoyable.
