It is true that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) earn more money than those working for the same job in the Philippines, several times over. However, many of them would readily tell you that if they could only go home and spend more time with their family while earning even half of their current salary, they would jump at that chance!
The reason for this is that working abroad is not as easy as many people think. Aside from stricter rules on the job and in the country they are working in, they also have to deal with loneliness and homesickness.
Here are some tips to overcome homesickness and help you cope with life as an OFW.
Make an Effort for Family Communication
Don’t ever forget that your family is the reason why you worked abroad. If you are feeling lonely, don’t seek happiness from someone else; instead, make an effort to connect with your family even if you now live in different time zones.
Though that might mean you have to stay up very late at night or wake up really early, regular communication with your family could help you feel happier and less lonely.
Accept Your Situation and Try to Have Fun
Whether you like it or not, you are going to be staying in that country for the next couple of years. Don’t make it any more harder by wallowing in grief. Instead, learn to accept your situation and try to have fun.
As long as you’re legally allowed to do it, explore the country you are in; this could not hold true for women working in the Middle East, though. But if you can, have fun exploring the country you are working in because you might not have a chance to visit it again as a tourist in the future.
Visit the tourist spots, try their cuisine, learn more about their culture, and enjoy yourself. You don’t even have to spend a lot of money to do that.
Start a New Hobby
Do you have plenty of time in your hands after your job is done? Why not start a new hobby? Reading books can keep you occupied so that you won’t always be thinking about feeling homesick.
Start a Business You Can Manage While Away
There’s nothing more time-consuming and demanding (yet financially rewarding) than opening your own business. When you’re busy with your business, you would not have time to dwell on being homesick. Start a business that you can manage while abroad — and this can even earn you a steady stream of passive income.
Try Part-time Online Jobs
Did you know that a lot of bloggers and writers in the Philippines are actually OFWs who have found an outlet in writing to overcome the loneliness they feel? What’s nice about this is that you can even earn extra cash while keeping yourself busy.
