Help for Homesickness

I have been living in Portsmouth two weeks today and this week the homesickness really kicked in! It's natural to miss the place you've lived all your life, but I really want to embrace Portsmouth as my new home and not simply rely on weekends in London to get me through the week.

I thought I'd share what has been helping me at the moment.

Harry Potter
The Wizarding World is my comfort blanket. I practically lived there when I was being bullied in secondary school and I always reach for them when I need something safe and familiar. They are my equivalent of a cup of tea in a crisis.

They are the only books I packed, apart from my Kindle. We aren't due to pick up our furniture for the flat until this weekend, but seeing my Potters in a neat little stack in my (pretty sparse at the moment) living room makes me feel like I am surrounded by friends.

Knitting and Blogging
Knitting feels like a super-power - no matter what happens or how I feel, goddamnit I can knit a hat. When we were looking for a flat that first weekend and when I was worrying about how well I'd do at my new job, I could look down at what my hands were doing and be reminded that I am capable and this too shall pass.

The same goes for my blog - I thought that it would slide, but actually working on my blog and podcast is a great way to remind myself that I am a capable woman, pursuing her interests no matter what (even when she knows next to nothing about audio!).

Sleep and Routine
Keeping my stress levels down (moving is the worse), finding my way around a new city and learning the ropes in a new job is exhausting. Right now, staying up to binge on Netflix is not an option. I have a set bedtime and, even at the weekend I have a set time to get up. The routine means I have one less thing to worry about because this is how it always is. Not laying in too long over the weekend also means I can get out first thing and get some miles under my belt!

Exercise
Much as I would love to simply curl up in the sofa under a blanket, with my knitting and a film, too much of that is no good for me and exercise forces me out of that rut. Going for a run with Rich gives me another feeling of accomplishment and capability. When I have a pang of homesickness, exercise reminds me that I'm still making gains in my life. Starting to feel stronger in body helps me feel stronger in mind.