How to cope with homesickness 何以解乡愁？

　　How to cope with homesickness 何以解乡愁？

　　古诗中说道：独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲。作客他乡，有时确实会分外想家。为什么人们会产生思乡之情？有哪些方法可以帮助你适应新的环境并正确地应对乡愁？本文探讨游子思乡的原因和难过时调整心情的方法。

　　词汇：homesickness 思乡

　　Starting a dream job in a new city, winning a place at a prestigious¹ university abroad or being able to travel for an extended period. All fantastic opportunities, but they can leave us feeling sad and alone. What is homesickness and what can we do about it?

　　Homesickness is mentioned in Homer's Odyssey² – it's nothing new. Common symptoms include sadness, anxiety and irritability³. It also can trigger self-protection responses causing people to withdraw from activities and become apathetic⁴ and unmotivated. Homesickness can affect anyone, but there are some factors that can make people more resilient when faced by it. Clinical psychologist Christopher Thurber and healthcare professional Edward Walton, tell us that positive previous experiences of being away from home, an optimistic outlook and a settled home background can help people deal better with the condition. Homesickness can also be less severe when someone feels in control of their situation, rather than feeling that they have been forced to move.

　　Regardless of these factors, homesickness does affect most people who move away from home. Psychologist Nilufar Ahmed recommends that people acknowledge homesickness, accept that it will happen and work through their feelings. Connections are important. Ahmed suggests people seek to fully⁵ involve themselves in their new surroundings, to focus on the positives of their new environment, get to know new people, and keep themselves active. She also suggests maintaining contact with home, through video chats or other means, and also to have reminders⁶ of home, such as familiar food. However, other psychologists, like Thurber and Walton, remind us that it's important that these connections to home do not prevent people taking up new opportunities.

　　Some form of homesickness is almost inevitable⁷ when we move to a new place. Understanding that this is the case, and taking small steps to lessen⁸ the impact, can help us make the most of new opportunities.

　　词汇表

　　abroad 在国外

　　extended period 长期

　　anxiety 焦虑

　　irritability 烦躁，易怒

　　self-protection 自我保护

　　withdraw 脱离，不再参与

　　apathetic 无兴趣的，冷漠的

　　unmotivated 无动力的，没有热情的

　　resilient 适应力强的

　　optimistic outlook 乐观的看法

　　settled 稳定的

　　work through 逐步处理、解决

　　connection （人与人的）联系

　　involve （使）参与

　　surroundings 周围环境

　　active 活跃的

　　maintain contact 保持联系

　　familiar 熟悉的

 

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