Starting a new life abroad is a courageous and hopeful step, but one that often comes with unexpected emotional hurdles. Among the most common is homesickness—the emotional response to separation from family, familiar surroundings, and cultural norms. This feeling can affect even the most determined migrants and may linger longer than expected.
For skilled migrants relocating to New Zealand, Australia, or exploring pathways in Europe or North America, success is not just about landing a job—it’s about building a meaningful life. This article provides practical strategies and mindset shifts that migrants use to turn uncertainty into belonging.
Strategies Migrants Use to Cope with Homesickness
These are not just coping mechanisms—they are the foundations of long-term emotional resilience and personal success in a new land.
1. Staying Connected with Home
Maintaining ties with your home country provides emotional grounding. Regular phone and video calls with family members and close friends remind migrants that they are not alone and still part of a larger network of support12. Many migrants schedule weekly catch-ups with loved ones, even if time zones make this challenging. Social media groups dedicated to people from their homeland also offer community and shared understanding.
Additionally, cultural continuity plays a huge role in emotional well-being. Migrants often find comfort in cooking traditional dishes, listening to music from home, or celebrating cultural holidays. These practices offer a sense of control and familiarity that softens the feeling of dislocation12.
2. Building a Support Network
Forming new relationships is essential for adapting to a new country. Many migrants seek out cultural associations, community centers, or church groups where they can connect with others facing similar challenges12. These spaces offer validation and camaraderie that ease the burden of isolation.
At the same time, making connections with locals is just as important. Learning to build friendships outside of one’s cultural circle not only helps with language practice but also leads to broader acceptance and opportunities. Migrants often report that even small gestures—such as chatting with neighbors, attending workshops, or joining local sports clubs—make a large emotional impact34.
3. Personalizing Your Space
Creating a familiar, cozy space at home can significantly improve emotional well-being. Simple things like hanging family photos, displaying mementos from your hometown, or arranging furniture in a culturally familiar way can bring emotional comfort and a sense of ownership5. This tactic helps transform temporary accommodation into a space that feels emotionally safe—a critical anchor during difficult days.
Some migrants also create dedicated “comfort zones” within their homes—spaces for prayer, tea, or reading—that help preserve cultural rituals and offer moments of reflection or calm.
4. Exploring the Host Culture
Embracing your new country is not about abandoning your identity—it’s about adding layers to who you are. Successful migrants take time to learn the language, understand local customs, and participate in daily life as much as possible16. This doesn’t happen overnight, but consistent small efforts—like watching local news, trying new foods, or observing holiday traditions—can ease the adjustment process.
Joining community events, enrolling in a class, or volunteering helps migrants interact with the host society in low-pressure settings. These moments not only reduce homesickness but help develop a sense of place and belonging23.
5. Maintaining Physical and Mental Health
Migrants often overlook their physical and mental health while focusing on settlement tasks, but well-being is a long-term investment. Regular physical activity—whether walking, jogging, yoga, or gym sessions—boosts mood, reduces anxiety, and builds structure into the day52.
Equally important is mental health. Migrants can benefit from accessing culturally sensitive counseling, mental health hotlines, or peer-support groups. A growing number of online and in-person services now cater to migrant communities, offering resources that normalize and address emotional stress14.
6. Volunteering and Helping Others
Taking part in community service or volunteer projects offers a double benefit. It gives migrants a chance to give back and also helps them feel more integrated. Whether it’s planting trees, tutoring students, or helping with a food drive, volunteering fosters purpose and builds a stronger connection with the new environment2.
Many migrants discover that helping others in small ways builds self-esteem and restores a sense of agency, especially during early periods of vulnerability.
7. Setting Goals and Reflecting on Purpose
Migrants often report that reminding themselves of why they moved helps them through hard times. Whether it’s to secure a better future for children, pursue professional growth, or escape political hardship, reconnecting with that purpose provides motivation2. Setting short- and long-term goals also adds structure and keeps the focus forward-looking.
Some migrants use journaling or vision boards as tools to track progress and celebrate small wins. Others speak affirmations or reflect with trusted mentors. These actions shift attention from what’s missing to what is being built.
The Mindset That Shapes Your Migration Journey
More than any external factor, your internal state can shape how you experience migration. Here are the three most powerful mindsets—both helpful and harmful—that influence migrant success.
Positive Mindsets That Support Integration
1. Growth Mindset
Migrants with a growth mindset believe that abilities—like language learning or professional adaptation—can improve with effort. They embrace challenges as learning experiences rather than signs of failure. This mindset fosters resilience, especially when migrants face setbacks like job rejections, communication barriers, or unfamiliar processes67.
Even when struggling with English or local customs, migrants with this mindset tend to seek resources, practice daily, and persist until progress becomes visible. In turn, they build not only skills but also self-confidence and emotional stability.
2. Willingness to Interact
Social courage—the willingness to talk to strangers, attend events, or ask questions—makes a significant difference in how quickly migrants integrate15. This doesn’t mean being extroverted; it means making a consistent effort to connect with people, even when it’s uncomfortable.
This mindset helps overcome shyness or fear of embarrassment. Over time, even small conversations with neighbors, coworkers, or shopkeepers help build familiarity and trust. These connections are the stepping stones to a real sense of community.
3. Sense of Purpose
A clear sense of purpose acts as a compass during the toughest times. Migrants who keep their long-term goals front of mind are more likely to endure early struggles and take strategic action. This mindset helps reframe daily challenges—from housing issues to credential recognition—as part of a larger journey toward stability and success7.
Purpose can come from career ambition, family hopes, or even the pursuit of a better lifestyle. When migrants tie their sacrifices to something meaningful, they gain strength and avoid burnout.
Limiting Mindsets That Hinder Adjustment
1. Fixed Mindset
Migrants with a fixed mindset often believe their skills or intelligence are unchangeable. For example, someone who thinks “I will never speak English well” may avoid trying altogether. This mindset leads to fear of failure, low confidence, and missed opportunities67.
Unfortunately, fixed thinking can prevent even capable migrants from seeking help, taking risks, or applying for jobs that might challenge them. Breaking this mindset often requires supportive coaching or early success stories to prove improvement is possible.
2. Sense of Alienation
When migrants view themselves as permanent outsiders, it becomes harder to engage with the host community8. This mindset can develop if migrants experience repeated rejection or cultural misunderstanding. Over time, they may withdraw, limiting their ability to participate in society meaningfully.
The danger of alienation is that it creates a self-fulfilling cycle—avoiding interaction leads to less integration, which leads to even more feelings of isolation. Migrants must actively counter this by creating bridges, not barriers.
3. Fear of Discrimination
Discrimination is a real issue in many countries, but allowing the fear of it to dominate your mindset can be paralysing. Migrants who assume they will be rejected or stereotyped often hesitate to apply for jobs, avoid asking for help, or refuse to speak up13.
While caution is wise, excessive fear can limit potential and cut off positive experiences before they start. It’s vital to develop discernment and find safe ways to build trust, advocate for oneself, and seek allies.
Conclusion: From Homesick to Homegrown Strength
Migration is an emotional and psychological journey—not just a logistical one. Feelings of homesickness are natural and valid, but they do not need to define your story.
With the right strategies and a supportive mindset, migrants can overcome the initial shock of relocation and begin creating a new chapter filled with purpose, connection, and hope. It’s not about losing your identity—but about expanding it in a way that honors where you’ve come from and where you’re going.
Footnotes & References
- https://canadianimmigrant.ca/living/wellness/missing-home-strategies-to-help-you-lessen-the-impact-of-homesickness ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7
- https://chatterfox.com/10-tips-on-how-to-overcome-homesickness-as-an-immigrant ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7
- https://www.impossiblepsychservices.com.sg/our-resources/articles/2020/02/03/coping-with-homesickness-depression-anxiety-expatriate ↩ ↩2 ↩3
- https://www.octagonpeople.com/homesickness-5-coping-strategies-for-expats ↩ ↩2
- https://www.gooverseas.com/blog/ways-reduce-homesickness-abroad ↩ ↩2 ↩3
- https://blog.oup.com/2018/09/migrants-intercultural-experiences ↩ ↩2 ↩3
- https://www.brainzmagazine.com/post/how-do-mindset-and-identity-affect-the-success-of-migrants-in-their-new-country ↩ ↩2 ↩3
- https://www.live-work.immigration.govt.nz/live-in-new-zealand/tips-for-settling-in/feeling-homesick ↩
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