Why one person suffers from homesickness and the other does not

Homesickness is something for children, you might think. Not so. Everyone can suffer from it.

Even very wise adults can experience homesickness on vacation. But homesickness can also occur after, for example, a move or after changing a beloved job.

Homesickness is caused by breaking your daily routine. You feel a strong longing for certain people or for your own home and belongings. You can only think about home and you also think that home is better than where you are now. You don't have to be far away; you can already feel it if you stay overnight at a friend's house. Homesickness causes mental complaints, such as sadness, anxiety, and stress. It also leads to physical complaints: you may experience sleep problems, shortness of breath, nausea, headaches, crying spells, stomach aches, decreased appetite, and fatigue. In extreme cases, it can also lead to panic attacks with hyperventilation.

But how is it that one person suffers terribly from this while another does not at all? That's not easy to say. A number of personality traits play a role in being ‘homesick’. Homesickness is especially common among people who like routine and order. These people do not cope well with changes. People with homesickness also often have a lower self-image and even neurotic traits. Additionally, they are often introverted. Your upbringing also plays a role: if you were raised protectively, you are more likely to find it difficult to open up to new stimuli. But even then, it doesn't say everything; it simply varies from person to person. And I also think it matters what you do with these feelings: if you bottle it up, it only gets worse and you only think about your own bed. While that bed on vacation can also be quite comfortable if you give it a chance. Talk about it with who you are, don't glorify home too much, and explore your new surroundings. Get to know that new neighborhood on vacation and make the best of it. Also, take something familiar from home; that can always help. A stuffed animal, a book, a photo. Something you value. You will feel more at ease.

I love my own home, but I can also travel for a long time without missing anything. Of course, with the right people next to me on that beach bed: I wouldn't go alone that quickly. But with my husband, children, parents, sisters, best friends: yes, just throw me on that white beach far far away. For me, homesickness is precisely being away from those people I love so much. Then I recognize the feeling of ‘missing something terribly’. No matter how luxurious that hotel may be, I would immediately feel homesick if I were alone. And sometimes I can already miss those few important people after a night out. Strange? Maybe. But also sweet, I think.