Have you ever felt homesick? The longing for home, for familiarity, for the comfort of what you know? It’s a feeling that many of us experience at some point in our lives, whether we’re away from home for the first time, living in a new place, travel long term, or simply by missing loved ones who are far away.

At its core, homesickness is a sense of disconnection and longing for something that feels familiar and safe. It doesn’t always have to be related to a physical place (a house) that we call home. It can show up in a variety of ways, from physical symptoms like fatigue and headaches to emotional ones like sadness and loneliness.

I, for one, have never really felt homesick in the traditional sense. When I was living abroad or traveling solo and my friends would ask me if I ever feel homesick, I never really knew what to do with that question. I always thought that this was a good sign and that it would mean that I felt at ease wherever I moved or travelled to. However, somehow, I still felt a sense of nostalgia and longing for a place to call home that I couldn’t find anywhere specifically. Was home just divided into all the places I had been to and the friends and family that were spread out around the world? Or was it something else?

I wondered what we could do about homesickness, whether we’re experiencing it for the first time or we’ve been carrying it around with us for years. Or whether, in my case, we’re looking for what home really means to us if we cannot find it anywhere. How can we let go of this feeling?

I believe that one of the most important things that we can do is focus on creating a sense of home within ourselves. This means cultivating a feeling of safety and comfort that comes from within, rather than relying on external circumstances to provide it for us. When we find this, home doesn’t depend on the place we’re at or the people around us. It’s about learning to trust ourselves and our ability to navigate the world, even when things feel uncertain or unfamiliar.

How do we do this? Let me tell you this, there is no one way. It’s a personal journey that is unique to everyone of us. What has worked for me, may not work for someone else and vice versa. However, there are some core elements that we can start with and that has truly been beneficial in my own journey and those of my clients.

Taking care of ourselves in small ways every day is an important first step. For example, this could mean creating a cozy corner in our home, with blankets and candles and other things that make us feel comfortable. It could also be something else, like setting aside some time each day to meditate, dance or practice yoga, or going for a walk in nature.

Another step that we shouldn’t forget is connecting with friends and loved ones, close or far away, and meeting new people who we feel comfortable with. This sense of community can really help us when we feel homesick. Finding a new hobby (or picking up a hobby from the past) can also be great to bring more joy and fulfillment into our day.

Connecting with our body and feeling comfortable and safe within our body is also essential for our feeling of home. Home is not just something we create in our minds to comfort us, but something we feel in our bodies as well. When we shift our focus from our mind to our body, we can process any feelings that may be stuck and release them to feel lighter.

Ultimately, creating home within ourselves is about recognizing that we have the power to feel safe, at peace, comfortable and confident no matter where we are or what we’re doing. It’s about trusting ourselves and our ability to handle whatever comes our way.

I invite you to think about what home means to you, and how you can cultivate that feeling within yourself. Whether you’re feeling homesick or simply searching for a sense of belonging, know that you have the power to create a home that is always with you, no matter where life takes you and regardless of factors outside of your control.

No one can take that place away from you and you can always return to it when challenges come your way. Life is full of ups and downs, and we cannot always prepare for changes that happen to us. This one place inside of us, our home within, is where we can always find our comfort, safety and peace.

The next time you feel homesick, remember this. Take a moment to think about what home means to you. Tune into whatever makes you feel safe, secure and comfortable. Cultivate those feelings whenever you need to so that you never have to miss your home again. Because it’s right here, within you.