Leading up to study abroad, someone mentioned that it will be my highest of highs and my lowest of lows. Oh man was that true. I am naturally an outgoing person and don’t tend to be homesick when I leave for college but this time while being abroad, I had some struggles making friends, feeling lonely and missing home. Living abroad brings basically every emotion to the surface at one point or another. Anxiety, excitement, loneliness, nervousness, joy, homesickness, you name it, I felt it.
The first thing one needs to understand about your mental health and wellbeing while being abroad is that whatever feeling you are experiencing, it is totally normal! It is ok and there are ways to cope and work through it. Be kind to yourself. Another thing that is important to understand is that you can’t do everything. You are going to want to try!
Four months, (if you’re doing a semester) may seem like a long time when you first get to your program location, but it simply is not enough time to do everything you want to do. Be aware that the things you want to do may not happen or things may go wrong. While that may not be encouraging to hear, if you are aware that you can’t do/don’t have the time/money to do everything, it helps to cope with the disappointment that inevitably comes.
Speaking form personal experience, I know that there were some places I didn’t get to go to or things I didn’t get to see (even when I tried hard to fit them in!). Shifting my perspective from being upset that I couldn’t something to embracing the realities of situation. Before you go, start reminding yourself that it will be ok that I didn’t have the time, money or energy and you will save yourself carrying what will feel like a weight on your shoulders. No one needs to have that kind of pressure on themselves! Instead fill your mind with gratitude for what you get to do!
Practical ways you can cope with loneliness, homesickness, anxiety, etc. while being abroad:
- Utilize counseling resources provided by CIS Abroad (your onsite coordinator can get you connected with them)
- Call home (your parents, a friend, grandparents, etc.) but not too often
- Go on a walk and enjoy the sights of the city
- Keep a gratitude journal (journal your daily thoughts too!)
- Attend a CIS Abroad on-site program event (this is a good way to connect and make new friends!)
- Try to do at least one thing a day that gives you joy
- Make a list of priorities for your semester (travel goals, things you want to see, areas you want to see personal growth in, etc.). Be aware that travel planning takes a lot of work and can wear on you. Space out the “work.”
Don’t let this discourage you from studying abroad. If anything, I hope this gives you more encouragement to do it!! While this all seemed like there’s a whole lot of bad emotions and hard times, more often than not I was through the roof excited and overjoyed and in awe of the life I got to live. But when the negative emotions do arise, it’s all about how you cope and handle them (this is where personal growth and character development can come from!!), you have practical resources at the tip of your fingers. You don’t need to do it all alone.
Blog by Kelsie Zern, Grand Canyon University, Semester in Florence
