Why Homesickness Hits Harder When You’re Far From Your Culture
Ritika Lashkari
Moving to a new country comes with excitement — new opportunities, fresh starts, and personal growth. But for many immigrants, international students, and temporary workers, there’s a hidden emotional toll: cultural homesickness.
This feeling goes beyond just missing home. It’s the deep, often unspoken grief of being disconnected from your culture, your identity, and the parts of life that once felt second nature. At bookmytherapy, we believe your mental health is not just personal — it’s also deeply cultural.
What Is Cultural Homesickness?
Most people think of homesickness as missing your bed or favorite food. But when you’re far from your culture, it becomes much more complex.
You might find yourself missing:
- Background conversations in your native language
- Foods that don’t need an explanation
- Familiar customs, rituals, and social cues
- Being in a place where you didn’t have to “translate” yourself
Psychologists call this cultural bereavement — a type of grief experienced when you’re separated from the environment that shaped your identity.
Want to learn more about emotional resilience abroad? Read: Managing Homesickness: Practical Strategies to Feel at Home Anywhere
Why It Feels More Intense Than Expected
Your brain finds comfort in routine and familiarity. When you’re surrounded by unfamiliar languages, behaviors, and norms, your nervous system quietly shifts into survival mode.
You may start to:
- Overthink social cues
- Conceal your cultural identity to “fit in”
- Feel like a stranger to yourself
- Long for a version of you that didn’t have to try so hard to belong
This isn’t just sadness. It’s a form of disconnection — from your roots, your self-expression, and your emotional safety.
How Cultural Homesickness Affects Your Mental Health
1. Emotional Exhaustion: You’re constantly adapting, explaining, and masking parts of yourself. It’s draining — and it lives in your body, not just your mind.
2. Identity Confusion: You start to wonder: Am I too much of my culture here? Not enough back home? This limbo makes it hard to feel like you truly belong anywhere.
3. Loneliness (Even With People Around): Friends or coworkers may not always understand what you’re grieving. The pain is not about being alone — it’s about not being emotionally mirrored.
4. Guilt for Feeling This Way: You hear it often: “You’re lucky to be here.”
Yes, you may be grateful. But gratitude and grief can coexist. Feeling homesick doesn’t make you ungrateful.
How to Take Care of Your Mind Through It
1. Name What You’re Feeling
Call it what it is: cultural homesickness. Naming your experience helps soften the weight it carries.
2. Recreate Cultural Rituals — Even in Small Ways
- Light a diya or incense
- Play music from your childhood
- Make a traditional dish — even if it’s improvised
- Celebrate a festival, even if it’s just with one friend
Familiar sounds and smells can calm your nervous system.
3. Grieve Without Justifying
You don’t need a “logical” reason to feel sad. Loss doesn’t need permission. It is okay to miss your life back home — even when your new one seems “better on paper.”
4. Find Cultural Mirrors
Look for people, communities, or therapists who understand your background. Whether it’s a fellow newcomer, a cultural organization, or someone from home — being seen without explanation is healing. You don’t have to do this alone, feel free to join our community by signing up here
5. Journal What You Miss Most
Give your longing a voice. Start journaling with simple prompts like:
- “Today I missed…”
- “Back home, I wouldn’t have to…”
- “I wish someone here understood…”
Writing helps move emotion through you, not around you.
6. Make Space for Both Old and New
You don’t have to choose between your past and your present. Let yourself grow into your new life without erasing your roots. Integration > assimilation.
Concluding thoughts
Cultural homesickness isn’t weakness. It’s your mind trying to remember who you were before you had to adapt so much.
Remember, you’re not failing to adjust. You’re grieving, evolving — and becoming something soft, strong, and beautifully in-between.
It is important to carry your culture with you. And it is okay to create a life where both your origin and your growth are held with compassion.