Being homesick can make you physically sick because homesickness is also a form of stress which can trigger a wide range of physical symptoms, including stomachaches, fatigue, headaches, lowered immune responses and changes in appetite.
The emotional distress that can occur with homesickness can also manifest in your body and make it feel like you're experiencing physical illness.
Common physical symptoms of being homesick or homesickness include headaches, stomachaches, fatigue, appetite changes, general unwellness and weakened immune system.
Chronic stress from being homesick can lower your immune system and make you more susceptible to getting sick and a general feeling of being unwell can also occur.
When you're homesick, you might also experience a loss of appetite or have changes in eating habits and feeling tired is also a frequent symptom of homesickness as homesickness can also disrupt your sleep patterns.
And nausea, stomachaches and other gastrointestinal issues are also common in homesickness and stress from the homesickness can lead to tension headaches.
Homesickness kicks in as early as the moment you leave and or the moment you arrive at your new location and sometimes homesickness may not kick in until a few days or even a few weeks after you arrive in your new location.
The onset of homesickness can vary from person to person and for some people homesickness starts immediately and others may not feel homesick until a few weeks or even a few months later.
The age that kids get homesick is often between as early as 9 months to 3 years old, and ages 4 to 9 years old although kids of any age can get homesick.
The youngest that kids tend to get homesick is 9 months of age.
Although separation anxiety is typical and normal in young children, other factors such as being away from home are often more predictive of homesickness than just age itself, and even adults can get homesickness.
Between the ages of 9 months to 3 years of age, separation anxiety is a normal part of a child's development, and it often starts around 9 months of age and peaks around age 2, and separation anxiety can manifest itself as crying or fear when the child is away from caregivers.
Homesickness is also common in children when they are between 4 to 9 years old, when they first start sleepovers or camps, even if they don't show it initially.
Homesickness can also continue well into a person's teenage years and even into adulthood, especially for people that have less experience when being away from home.
The stages of homesickness are the honeymoon stage, the culture/shock/frustration stage, adjustment stage and the acceptance stage.
In the honeymoon stage of homesickness, there is a period of excitement and enthusiasm or the new place, and you're eager to explore, meet new people and try new things.
In the culture shock/frustration stage of homesickness, the initial excitement of the new place fades and challenges and differences become more noticeable.
And you might experience feelings of unease, loneliness or even irritability and comparisons between your old home and your new home become frequent.
During the adjustment stage of homesickness, you start to get used to your new place and new environment and develop a routine, then your daily life becomes easier to navigate and you begin to form new relationships.
And in the final acceptance and integration stage of homesickness you begin to feel comfortable and at home in your new setting, and the homesickness fades as you begin to develop a sense of belonging and familiarity and you might still miss certain things from home, although you have now integrated both parts of your life.
When someone is homesick the person experiences emotional distress from being away from their home and familiar environment.
Homesickness can manifest itself as anxiety, sadness and withdrawal, along with other physical symptoms like appetite changes, sleep changes.
Homesickness is a natural and common reaction to change from one's familiar environment.
Although homesickness can feel overwhelming, the homesickness is only temporary and often fades away as you adjust to and build new connections in your new surroundings.
The sadness or unease you feel when separated from your home, people and routines that make you feel safe is homesickness and it's very common.