Staying well
Missing home
Almost everyone who leaves home to work or study feels homesick or lonely at times. It is not weakness. Small, regular contact with people, here and at home, helps more than most of us expect.
Not medical advice. Musafir Health gives general health information only. It cannot diagnose you or tell you which medicine to take. Talk to a doctor, nurse or pharmacist about your own health, and in an emergency call the local emergency number.
Small ways to stay connected
- Keep a regular call time with your family, the same day each week.
- Get to know one or two people where you live or work: share a meal, a walk or a game on your day off.
- Find people who share your language, faith or hobby: a mosque, temple, church or gurdwara, a sports team, a cricket match or a community group.
- Video calls can help you feel close to your children and parents, even from far away.
Look after yourself day to day
- Eat regular meals, sleep enough and get daylight and some movement. They all affect mood.
- Keep money worries in the open: talk to someone you trust instead of carrying them alone.
- Be careful with alcohol and with anything that promises to make worries disappear.
When it is more than missing home
- Feeling low or empty most of the day, for two weeks or more.
- Losing interest in things you used to enjoy, or in calling home.
- Changes in sleep or appetite, feeling worthless or hopeless, or finding work very hard to do.
- If this sounds like you, talk to a doctor or a counsellor. Depression is common and it can be treated.
Looking out for others
- If a room-mate or co-worker has gone quiet, stopped eating or talks about having no way out, check on them and stay with them if you are worried.
- Help them reach a doctor, their embassy or the emergency number.
If you are in crisis
If you are thinking about harming yourself, or someone is in immediate danger, call the local emergency number now (see the numbers on the Musafir Health home page). Tell someone near you. Your country's embassy can also help its citizens in a crisis.
Official sources
- CDC: social connection
- National Institute on Aging: loneliness and social isolation, tips for staying connected
- National Institute of Mental Health: depression
- MedlinePlus: depression
Health advice is updated over time. Check the sources above and ask a health professional about your own situation. Last checked November 2026.