Finding Home Away From Home

Have you ever felt a wave of comfort when you look at roads to your home, shops you used to buy candies from, the fragrance of a familiar dish or heard a song from your childhood? These moments remind us that “home” is more than a physical space; it is a sense of belongingness, comfort, and emotional safety. As many of us move away from home for work, education, or personal growth, learning how to recreate a sweet home away from home becomes emotionally necessary.

Research shows that relocating can increase feelings of loneliness and stress, especially during the early adjustment period. Cross-cultural adjustments significantly affect expatriates' stress. One powerful way to cope is by sharing personal memories of home with others. Talking about our traditions, family customs, or favorite foods can strengthen social bonds and provide emotional support. Social inclusion is strongly connected to better mental health, while loneliness is associated with higher risks of anxiety and depression, with increased risk of early mortality.

Another helpful strategy is bringing elements of home into our daily surroundings. This can be practiced by cooking familiar recipes, creating a family wall of pictures, carrying some childhood belongings, and maintaining similar home routines. Studies on nostalgia suggest that recalling meaningful past experiences can increase feelings of social connectedness and emotional warmth, especially during times of transition. While adjusting to the new environment, one must stay connected to one's roots by exploring housing in neighborhoods with a similar culture and joining community groups. This enhances adaptation and helps create new sources of comfort. Using technology to our advantage to manage distance through video calls, messaging, and social media allows us to maintain close relationships. Maintaining these connections has been shown to support emotional well-being during major life changes.

Finding home away from home does not mean letting go of your roots. Instead, it is about carrying pieces of your past while embracing new experiences. Take a small step today by cooking a favorite childhood dish, practicing good habits, recalling memories, creating a photo wall and making video calls to family and friends to remember anecdotes from past experiences. Home often grows from these simple moments with a big impact.

Writer: Shruti

Published: 16/04/2026

Reference

Chen, Y., & Li, S. (2017). The relationship between social support and mental health among migrants

Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., Baker, M., Harris, T., & Stephenson, D. (2015). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: A meta-analytic review. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), 227–237.

Sedikides, C., Wildschut, T., Arndt, J., & Routledge, C. (2008). Nostalgia: Past, present, and future. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17(5), 304–307.

Ward, C., Bochner, S., & Furnham, A. (2001). The psychology of culture shock (2nd ed.). Routledge.