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3Starting a dream job in a new city, winning a place at a prestigious 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 Odyssey - it's nothing new.
Common symptoms include sadness, anxiety and irritability,
It also can trigger self-protection responses causing people to withdraw from activities and become apathetic 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 fully 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 reminders 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 inevitable when we move to a new place.
Understanding that this is the case, and taking small steps to lessen the impact, can help us make the most of new opportunities.
词汇表
prestigious university 名牌大学
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
involve（使）参与
surroundings 周围环境
maintain contact 保持联系
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