What to Do When Homesick: Guide for Singaporeans Abroad

I want to talk to you like a friend today. If you are a Singaporean living abroad and you feel heavy for no clear reason, I understand this. I have felt it too. This feeling is called homesickness, and it happens to almost every Singaporean who moves away, even the ones who look happy on social media.

Quick answer: Homesickness living abroad is normal. It happens when you leave your family, your food, and your daily life behind. From my own experience, the fastest way to feel better is simple: call your family, eat Singaporean food, make a few new friends, and keep a small daily routine. For most people, this feeling gets easier in three to six months. It can come back on festival days, and that is okay too.

More than 340,000 Singaporeans live outside Singapore right now, mostly in Australia, Malaysia, the UK, and the US, based on figures from the Singapore Global Network. So if you feel homesick, you are one of many, not one alone. In this guide, I will tell you what I know and what has worked for me and for other Singaporeans I have talked to. I will keep it simple. No hard words. Just real advice.

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What Is Homesickness and Why Does It Happen When Living Abroad?

Homesickness is not weakness. It is your mind’s normal reaction when you lose the small things that made your day feel safe, your family, your food, your language. When all these things go away at the same time, your mind feels the loss.

From my experience, homesickness does not always start on day one. It often starts later, after the excitement of the move is gone and life becomes normal again. That is when the quiet feeling shows up.

What Does Homesickness Feel Like?

It does not always come as one big moment. Most of the time it feels small at first. You feel tired for no reason. You feel a little sad when you look at old photos. and You feel like something is missing, even on a normal day.

Some days you may feel like a stranger in your own life. You go to work or school, but part of your mind is still in Singapore. This is very common. My own advice is simple: do not fight this feeling. Just notice it.

What Is the First Sign of Homesickness?

For most people, the first sign is small. Maybe you cannot sleep well. Maybe you suddenly want a very specific dish that you never think about back home. also Maybe one song on the radio makes you stop and feel something strong.

I tell you this because these small signs matter. If you notice them early, you can act early. Do not wait until the feeling grows bigger.

Why Do People Feel Homesick in a Foreign Country?

Almost everything changes at once when you move. Your daily routine is gone. The way people talk and act feels different, even in an English-speaking country. The time difference makes it hard to call family and friends. All of this adds up fast.

For us Singaporeans, there is one more thing. We move from a warm, busy, food-filled life to somewhere colder and quieter. That change is bigger than most people expect. Here is a simple table to show the common reasons.

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How Homesickness Can Affect Your Mental and Emotional Well-Being

If you do not deal with homesickness, it does not just stay as a bad mood. It can grow and touch your sleep, your energy, and how close you feel to people around you. This is why I want to talk about it openly, not hide it.

The good part is that this is well understood, and there are simple steps that help. I will show you those steps in this guide.

The Emotional Impact of Missing Home

Missing home feels different for each person. For some, it is a light sadness that passes in a day. For others, it feels like a real loss, almost like grief. Guilt can also come, especially when you miss a family event, a Chinese New Year dinner, a friend’s wedding, or National Day back home.

A Singaporean student I once spoke to in Melbourne told me something I still remember. She said the hardest part was not missing home, it was feeling like home kept moving on without her. If you feel this too, please know it is normal, and it does not mean your relationships are broken.

How Homesickness Can Affect Your Mental Health

There is a real difference between normal homesickness and something bigger. Mild homesickness that comes and goes is part of normal life abroad. But if you feel low, if you pull away from people, or if you lose interest in daily life for many weeks, this needs more care.

I am not telling you to label yourself. I am telling you to watch the pattern. If the feeling does not slowly get better, please use the support ideas later in this guide, including professional help if you need it.

Physical Symptoms You May Experience When Feeling Homesick

Homesickness does not stay only in your mind. Your body feels it too. You may notice you eat less or more than usual. You may feel tired even after sleep. and You may get headaches or stomach trouble. This is your body reacting to stress, just like it would to any big life change.

10 Practical Ways to Cope With Homesickness While Living Abroad

Coping with homesickness is not about forcing the feeling away. It is about building small habits you can repeat, so life away from home feels easier day by day. None of these steps are hard. You do not need to hide your feelings to use them.

Here are ten simple steps that have worked for me and for many other Singaporeans I know.

1. Stay Connected With Your Family and Friends Back Home

Pick one fixed time each week for a video call. Do not wait for a “good time” to happen on its own, it rarely does. A short call every Sunday helps more than one long call every few months. Voice notes on WhatsApp help fill the days in between.

2. Enjoy Singaporean Food When You Miss Home

Nothing fixes a homesick day faster than a familiar meal. Keep instant laksa paste, a jar of kaya, or a bak kut teh packet mix in your kitchen. A taste of home should never be more than twenty minutes away.

3. Bring a Piece of Singapore With You

Before you leave Singapore, pack a small comfort bag. A family photo, a small keepsake, even your own pillowcase. These small things help more than you expect once you are unpacking in a new, empty room.

4. Create a Comfortable Home Away From Home

Your space affects how you feel more than most people think. Add a few photos, a small plant, anything that makes the room feel like yours. Do not leave your boxes unpacked for months, it keeps the space feeling temporary.

5. Keep Some Singaporean Traditions Alive

Celebrate Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali, and National Day, even alone or with new friends who do not know these days. A small act still counts. You do not need a big crowd to make it feel real.

6. Try Something New in Your Host Country

While you cope with homesickness, also try to build good new memories. Try the local food, join a local festival, see the first snow if it is new to you. This helps your new country start to feel like your own, not just a place to compare against home.

7. Make Friends and Build a Support Network

Try to have both local friends and other Singaporeans in your life. Local friends help you feel part of your new place. Other Singaporeans give you comfort, because they already understand your jokes and your food.

8. Take Care of Yourself When You Feel Down

Simple things matter the most on hard days. Sleep well. Move your body. Get sunlight when you can, this matters even more if you moved from sunny Singapore to a darker climate.

9. Focus on Solving Problems Instead of Avoiding Your Feelings

When something specific hurts, like missing a birthday back home, name it. Do not just scroll on your phone to forget it. Take one small action instead, even a short message home. This helps more than avoiding the feeling.

10. Keep Yourself Busy With Meaningful Activities

Being busy is not the same as being fulfilled. Choose something that means something to you, a class, a hobby, volunteer work. This kind of activity helps your homesickness more than just filling time.

The Best Singaporean Comfort Foods to Enjoy When You’re Homesick

If I had to name one quick fix for homesickness, it would be food. Taste connects directly to memory. One spoon of chicken rice or one cup of teh can change your whole day.

The good news is that Singaporean food is easier to find abroad than most people think.

Cook Your Favourite Singaporean Dishes

Keep simple items ready in your kitchen: instant laksa mix, bak kut teh packets, kaya jam, and dried ikan bilis from an Asian supermarket. A quick chicken rice, a bowl of instant laksa, or kaya toast for breakfast can bring back the feeling of a Saturday morning at home.

Find Singaporean Restaurants and Food Markets Abroad

Some Singaporean brands are now found around the world. Old Chang Kee has shops in Perth, Johor Bahru, London, and Indonesia. Wee Nam Kee chicken rice has also opened in a few other countries. A quick search for Singapore food found overseas can help you find a shop near you.

Stock Up on Your Favourite Singaporean Snacks

Many Singaporeans overseas keep certain snacks close by, IRVINS salted egg snacks, Bengawan Solo pandan cake, and Tong Garden nuts. You can bring these back after a trip to Singapore, and some popular snacks are now sold online too.

How to Create a Home Away From Home

A space that feels like your own can lift your mood more than you think. Making a real home away from home does not take much money or time. It just takes a little care.

Here are three simple ways to do it.

Bring Familiar Items From Singapore

Before you leave, pack a small comfort kit, snacks, a keepsake, your usual toiletries, and printed photos, not just photos on your phone. A real photo on a shelf feels different from one on a screen.

Decorate Your Space With Things That Remind You of Home

A batik cushion, a small photo frame, even a plant if you can, small touches like these help a lot. Even one small item from Singapore can make a room feel less foreign.

Create a Daily Routine That Makes You Feel Comfortable

A morning kopi, a short exercise, a fixed sleep time, these small habits give your day a shape. A steady routine makes the day feel less confusing, even in a new country.

How to Stay Connected With Singapore While Living Abroad

Staying close to Singapore and building a new life abroad can happen at the same time. You just need to make the connection on purpose, not by accident.

Here is how I try to stay connected, and how you can too.

Schedule Regular Calls With Family and Friends

Set one fixed weekly time for calls, and plan around the time difference instead of waiting for a lucky moment. A short, regular call beats a long call that only happens once in a while.

Follow Singapore News and Current Events

Check apps like CNA or The Straits Times so you know what is happening back home, the Budget, National Day Rally, or just daily hawker news. This makes your calls home feel current, not distant.

Celebrate Singaporean Festivals and Traditions

Mark Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali, and National Day, even in a small way. Cook the food. Wear the colour. It does not need to be big to matter.

Join Singaporean Communities Abroad

This part can really help. The Singapore Global Network started as a small government office in 2006 and has grown into a large network with around 130,000 members. There are also smaller groups, like the UK Singapore Students’ Council and the Singaporean Entrepreneurs in Europe Association. These are real, active ways to find other Singaporeans near you.

How to Make Friends and Adjust to Life in a New Country

Getting used to a new culture takes time, and that is normal, not a failure. Friends make this process much easier.

Here are four simple steps to help you build a real life abroad.

Meet People From Your Host Country

Real local friends help you feel part of your new place, not just a visitor in it. They also help daily life feel less confusing, from small talk to local jokes.

Connect With Other Singaporeans Overseas

Use Singapore Global Network chapters, university Singapore student groups, or local Facebook and WhatsApp groups. Sometimes just talking to someone who shares your childhood memories is exactly what a hard day needs.

Join Local Clubs, Classes, or Community Groups

Sports clubs, hobby classes, faith groups, and volunteer work are all good places to meet people. Doing something together makes friendship happen faster than small talk alone.

Give Yourself Time to Adjust to a New Culture

There is a normal pattern to this, a happy start, a hard dip, then a slow climb back up. There is no fixed timeline. Do not compare your pace to someone else’s. Give yourself time, real time, not just patience in words.

What to Do When You Feel Extremely Homesick

Most days, the steps above are enough. But some days feel much harder. It helps to already have a plan, instead of trying to think of one in that moment.

Here are four steps for the harder days.

Talk to Someone You Trust

Say the feeling out loud to a friend, a family member, or a mentor. Speaking about it usually makes it smaller. Keeping it inside usually makes it feel bigger.

Go Outside and Explore Your Surroundings

Moving your body and seeing something new can shift your mood fast. Even a short walk can help more than sitting alone with your thoughts.

Do Something That Makes You Feel Connected to Home

Cook a Singaporean dish. Call an old friend. Watch a show you grew up with. Small acts like these give the feeling somewhere to go.

Consider Getting Professional Support if You Need It

Most universities offer free counselling for international students, and a local doctor can help you find a therapist if needed. For Singapore support, Samaritans of Singapore has a 24-hour hotline at 1-767, plus a WhatsApp line at 9151 1767. Singapore also has a national mental health helpline at 1771, listed on this helpline page. Save these numbers now, not because something is wrong, but so help is close if you ever need it.

Homesickness vs Culture Shock: What Is the Difference?

These two words often get mixed up, but they are not the same thing. Knowing the difference helps you understand what you are really feeling.

What Is Homesickness?

Homesickness is missing what you left behind, your family, your food, your old routine, your friends.

What Is Culture Shock?

Culture shock is the trouble you feel with what is new around you, new rules, new systems, new ways people talk to each other.

Can You Experience Both at the Same Time?

Yes, and most people who move abroad for the first time feel both together. They usually feel strongest in the first few months.

How Long Does Homesickness Usually Last?

There is no single number of weeks for this. It is different for each person. What matters more is understanding the pattern.

Why Homesickness May Come and Go

Homesickness does not go away in a straight line. It often returns on certain days, festivals, birthdays, family events, even after you feel settled. This is not a step backward. It is just how the feeling works.

How to Know You Are Slowly Adjusting to Life Abroad

Progress often shows up quietly. Your new country starts to feel less strange. Your routine forms without much effort. The hard days come less often. Sometimes you only notice this later, when you realise a whole week passed without that heavy feeling.

Frequently Asked Questions About Homesickness Living Abroad

Why do I feel homesick living abroad?

Because your usual routine, food, language, and support all changed at once. This is a normal reaction, not a sign something is wrong with you.

Is homesickness normal when living abroad?

Yes, very normal. Most Singaporeans living abroad feel it at some point, even the ones who look settled and happy from the outside.

How do I deal with missing my family and friends?

Set one fixed weekly call time instead of calling only when you happen to remember. Send small voice notes on the days in between. Small, regular contact helps more than a rare long call.

What helps with homesickness when studying abroad?

University counselling, Singaporean student groups, and a simple daily routine all help a lot. This feeling often gets easier once your class schedule settles into a rhythm.

How can I feel at home in a foreign country?

Make your space feel like yours, keep a simple routine, and let yourself build new good memories too. A home away from home grows slowly, not all at once.

What can Singaporeans bring from home when moving overseas?

Family photos, familiar toiletries, small keepsakes, and pantry items like laksa paste or kaya jam. Tiger Balm and Pei Pa Koa are also common choices, small, useful, and hard to find once you are gone.

Final Thoughts: You Can Feel at Home Again

Homesickness while living abroad is not something you fix once and forget. It comes back sometimes, on a festival, on a birthday, and that is a normal part of building a life in two places. What matters is not removing the feeling completely. What matters is knowing what to do when it comes.

My advice to you is simple. Pick one thing from this guide and try it this week. Call home on a fixed day. Cook a pot of laksa. Join one group near you. Small steps, done again and again, work better than waiting for the feeling to disappear on its own.

You left Singapore, but Singapore did not leave you. A home away from home is something you can build, and you are already closer to it than you think.