Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Moving to Sweden is often the realization of a dream: stunning nature, safety, a generous welfare state, cozy cafés for fika, renowned universities, and an ultra-egalitarian culture. Yet, behind the clichés of snowy forests and design cities, the emotional shock is very real. Homesickness affects a large majority of expatriates during the first year, sometimes discreetly, sometimes to the point of completely ruining the experience.
This article offers a concrete guide based on psychology and Swedish cultural reality. It aims to help expatriates, wherever they live in Sweden, understand and normalize their emotions, and provides immediately applicable strategies to tame homesickness.
Understanding Homesickness in the Swedish Context
Homesickness is a form of emotional distress linked to separation from what is familiar: loved ones, language, habits, landscape, smells, food, social rhythms. Studies show that between 20% and 90% of expatriates suffer from it during the first year, and that 50 to 75% of the general population has felt this sentiment at least once.
In Sweden, certain factors amplify this feeling.
Adaptation in Sweden can be difficult due to a marked cultural distance. Newcomers must get used to the organized pace of *lagom* (not too much, not too little), discretion in public, conflict avoidance, and reticence towards small talk (the Swedish fear of light conversation). This shift from an environment perceived as noisy to an atmosphere compared to a silent library is a frequent culture shock.
Next, the environment. Arriving in the middle of winter, with days that can be summarized in just a few hours of light and a low sky, is not insignificant. Approximately 8% of people living in Sweden are estimated to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and more than one in ten people would feel at least significant “winter blues.” When you add the social isolation of the early days to this, you get a perfect cocktail for amplifying nostalgia for home.
Swedes are often described as reserved and not very spontaneous, preferring plans made in advance. Friendships are built over the long term and trust is acquired slowly, which can be disorienting for people from more demonstrative or spontaneous cultures.
Yet, the same research shows that integration is possible and often very rewarding in the medium term: once formed, friendships with Swedes are generally deep and lasting. The question then becomes: how to hold on and build your place during this delicate period when homesickness sets in?
Recognize the Signs Before It Overflows
Homesickness is not just about “thinking often about your family.” Symptoms can be emotional, cognitive, physical, and behavioral. Taking them seriously allows you to act before the situation slides into a depressive episode.
What You Might Feel
Numerous studies highlight recurring symptoms in expatriates:
Homesickness manifests through a set of emotional, physical, and behavioral symptoms. Emotionally, it can involve sadness, irritability, a feeling of emptiness, diffuse anxiety, and constant worries. The person may feel they don’t belong to their new environment, feel “on the sidelines,” and constantly idealize the “before” life through comparisons. Cognitively, difficulties concentrating and a drop in motivation are observed. Physically, it often translates into fatigue, sleep disturbances, and changes in appetite. Socially, the person tends to withdraw and refuse invitations. These signs often impact performance at work or in studies. A typical behavior is excessive reliance on contact with the home country, such as video calls several times a day or compulsive checking of social media.
These manifestations are considered a normal adjustment process. They become concerning when they last, worsen, or are accompanied by thoughts of despair, worthlessness, or suicidal ideas. It is also known that homesickness is correlated with an increase in depressive disorders among expatriates and migrants.
A Broader Emotional Context
Moving to Sweden can feel like a mini-grieving process: for your previous life, your social status, your reference points. Psychologists often compare this period to the major stages of grief: denial (“it’ll be okay”), anger (“why is everything so complicated here?”), bargaining (“if I find a good job, it’ll be fine”), sadness, and then slowly, acceptance.
It is therefore essential not to interpret your emotions as an integration “failure,” but as an expected part of the process.
Lean on Swedish Culture to Feel Better
Homesickness feeds on the feeling of disconnect. Paradoxically, better understanding Swedish culture can reduce this gap and offer you “gateways” to connection.
Fika, Lagom, Friluftsliv: Your New Allies
Three keywords summarize many aspects of life in Sweden.
Fika. This is not just a coffee. It’s a sacrosanct social break, at work and in private life, where you sit down, chat, and slow down. Most places – offices, universities, libraries, associations – operate on the rhythm of fika. Accepting invitations or proposing a fika to a colleague, neighbor, or classmate is one of the most natural ways to break the ice. You don’t need to be extroverted: the conversation can stay simple (weather, weekend, travels), it’s the ritual that matters.
Lagom, meaning “not too much, not too little, just right,” is a Swedish principle influencing communication (without exaggeration or superlatives), personal modesty (influenced by Jantelagen), and work-life balance (serious work but respect for hours, evenings and weekends reserved for private life). Understanding this concept helps interpret what may seem distant as a willingness to give space to everyone.
Friluftsliv. Literally “open-air life.” Whether it’s +20°C or –10°C, Swedes go out: hiking, cross-country skiing, ice skating on frozen lakes, forest walks, picnics by the water. Research on mental health is very clear: time spent in nature reduces anxiety, anger, and sadness, especially when combined with physical activity. In Sweden, you have the additional advantage of Allemansrätten, the right of public access to nature, which allows you to walk almost anywhere as long as you respect the places.
A Lifestyle That Can Protect You… If You Adopt It
The Nordic model – strong social security, universal access to healthcare, free education, advanced gender equality – doesn’t erase homesickness, but it can reduce certain stresses: fear of getting sick, cost of studies, childcare, etc. Studies show that this material and institutional security contributes to overall well-being, even in a harsh climate.
Learning about and using support systems like healthcare, parental support, employment assistance, and language courses can reduce anxiety related to the unknown. This frees you up mentally to better focus on the emotional work necessary for integration.
Building a Solid Daily Life: The Best Anti-Nostalgia Weapon
Homesickness often settles into a void: unstructured days, social isolation, lack of reference points. Building a stable daily routine early on, even an imperfect one, is one of the best shock absorbers.
Establish a Reassuring Routine
A large part of psychologists’ recommendations converge on this point: routine protects mental health. In Sweden, you can rely on the very regular rhythm of society to build your own.
For example:
Practical strategies to maintain your energy and morale during the dark season.
Maintain a regular wake-up time, even in winter, to avoid disrupting your internal clock.
Establish a small ritual (light, hot drink, reading or meditation) to compensate for the morning darkness.
Go outside at least once in the middle of the day, even for ten minutes, to catch natural light.
Integrate regular appointments like a fika, sports activity, or class to structure your time.
Maintain relatively consistent mealtimes and sleep schedules for your balance.
The more structure you give to your days, the less room your mind has to ruminate in loops about what you’re missing.
Turn Your Home Into a “Home Away From Home”
Psychologically, it’s important that your apartment or shared room isn’t just a transit place, but a space for recharging. Decorate with photos, objects, or linens that remind you of familiar sensations. Use smells (spices, tea, coffee, scented candles) and sounds (music from home, shows, podcasts) to create a soothing multisensory environment.
Major Swedish cities have many international grocery stores and online sites offering products from all over the world. Preparing a dish from your home country with similar ingredients may seem trivial, but many accounts confirm the powerful and comforting effect of these cultural “anchors.”
Combating Loneliness in Sweden: Where and How to Meet People
Telling someone who feels bad, isolated, and possibly introverted to “go out and meet people” is not helpful. The challenge is to propose realistic gateways, adapted to the Swedish context, where spontaneous small talk on the bus isn’t necessarily the norm.
Understanding Swedish Social Dynamics
Cultural research describes a society that values discretion, personal distance, and equality. Concretely, this means:
– little small talk in public transport
– difficulty knowing if you can propose an outing without “disturbing”
– friendships that build slowly but last a long time
– interactions often planned, more than spontaneous
This reserve does not mean people don’t want new friends. Many Swedes simply explain that they don’t want to be intrusive, or they assume that foreigners already have their social life. Breaking this misunderstanding requires daring to make the first move, even if it’s not always natural.
Where to Build a Social Circle: Some Concrete Anchors
In Sweden, sociability very often happens through organized structures: clubs, associations, study circles, student unions, etc. This is great news for people who don’t like networking randomly.
Here is an overview, presented as a table for clarity.
| Type of place / activity | Example of structures and platforms | Who it’s suited for |
|---|---|---|
| Swedish language courses (SFI, adult classes) | Municipal SFI, Folkuniversitetet, Medborgarskolan | Newcomers, students, spouses, job seekers |
| Hobby clubs & associations | Hiking, photography, theater, book clubs, board game clubs | People seeking lasting connections around a passion |
| Sports & outdoors | Football, skiing, hockey, hiking, camping, badminton clubs | Need to move, channel stress, meet locals |
| Volunteering | Volontärbyrån, Drivkraft Malmö, neighborhood associations | Desire to get involved, sense of giving, local network |
| Studies & university life | Student nations (Uppsala, Lund), student unions, buddy programs | Students, PhDs, young professionals who went through university |
| Language cafés / Språkcafé | Libraries, Kulturhuset, dedicated cafés (e.g., Språkcafeet in Gothenburg) | Practicing Swedish, relaxed meetings, beginners welcome |
| Expat groups & online | Meetup, InterNations, Facebook (“Expats in Stockholm,” etc.), Expat.com | People feeling lost at the beginning, need for quick contacts and info |
| Coworking spaces & professional networks | Helio, WeWork, Mindpark, chambers of commerce (AmCham, BSCC), Stockholm Tech | Freelancers, managers, entrepreneurs, tech profiles |
The advantage of these environments is that they give a concrete pretext for meeting people. You don’t need to be socially brilliant, you just need to be present, ask a few questions, come back the following week.
Dare to Join Expat Communities… Without Getting Stuck There
Many accounts describe the expat community as a lifeline during the first months. In Stockholm, Gothenburg, or Malmö, but also in university towns like Uppsala or Lund, you’ll find very active groups: language clubs, nationality-based associations, outing groups, etc.
They allow:
– to speak your language effortlessly
– to share common challenges (administration, climate, job, housing)
– to vent when you feel misunderstood by loved ones back home
Studies show that these connections with people sharing the same situation significantly reduce isolation. In the long term, however, those who integrate best combine these links with local relationships, with Swedes and other immigrants.
Managing Contact with Your Home Country: Finding the Right Balance
The internet and unlimited video calls are both a gift and a trap. On one hand, staying connected with your family, friends, and language is a powerful protective factor. On the other, some research indicates that prolonged daily calls can reinforce nostalgia.
The goal is not to cut ties, but to find a frequency and type of contact that supports your adaptation rather than sabotages it.
Some Useful Guidelines
Several studies and accounts converge on balanced strategies:
To manage the emotional distance during an expatriation, schedule regular check-ins (like a long video call on the weekend or a voice message during the week) to avoid a total break. Accept that you won’t share everything in real-time, especially daily frustrations, so as not to worry your loved ones. Also talk about your new life and discoveries, not just what you miss. Limit passive checking of social media from friends who stayed home, as it amplifies the feeling of missing out (FOMO) and comparisons. If possible, plan a first return visit or a loved one’s arrival in Sweden: having a concrete date reduces the feeling of an endless exile.
The idea is simple: keep your original identity alive while making room for a new layer of identity in Sweden.
Facing the Swedish Winter Without Sinking: Lights, Vitamin D, and “Mys”
The climate plays a potentially explosive role in intensifying homesickness. Between November and February, especially in the north of the country, the days are very short, the sun low, the nights endless. Nordic data shows that about 6.5% of the population would suffer from a confirmed Seasonal Affective Disorder, with a higher proportion among women.
Acting on Light and Biology
Specialists in SAD insist on a few main levers:
Several actions are effective to compensate for the lack of sun in winter: get daily exposure to natural light, even on cloudy days, ideally between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Using a light therapy lamp (10,000 lux) in the morning for 20 to 30 minutes helps regulate mood and circadian rhythm. Vitamin D supplementation is often necessary, as the sun no longer allows its synthesis. Finally, maintaining a regular sleep routine, with fixed times and fewer screens in the evening, is essential for well-being.
Research conducted in Norway shows that inhabitants of the darkest regions often develop a surprisingly positive attitude towards winter: they see it as a season for conviviality, inner coziness, certain pleasures reserved for this time.
Sweden illustrates this logic through two specific concepts that can serve as a source of inspiration.
– Mys: the art of cozy conviviality. Candles, blankets, soft light, hot drinks, pastries, board games, movies, long evenings chatting without pressure. The more you transform winter into a season of mys, the less suffocating it becomes.
– Winter friluftsliv: accept the idea that there’s no bad weather, only bad clothes. Invest in wool layers, appropriate shoes, a good coat, gloves, a hat. Try activities like ice skating on lakes, cross-country skiing, snowshoe hiking, even if it’s new to you.
This dual movement – going out nonetheless and creating a warm interior – diminishes the impression of hostility and claustrophobia that feeds homesickness in winter.
Learning Swedish: A Powerful Antidote to Feeling Like a Foreigner
Even though over 90% of Swedes speak English, research and accounts converge: learning Swedish is one of the strongest levers for reducing the feeling of disconnect and facilitating local friendships.
Why Language Changes Everything
Speaking a few phrases of Swedish means:
– understanding jokes and references at a party or during a fika break
– following work emails, signs, announcements without relying on translation
– daring to participate in class, meetings, associations
– sending the implicit signal that you are here to stay and that you respect the culture
Language is the number one tool for rapid integration.
Former Swedish Minister of Integration
Combining Official Courses and Informal Learning
Municipalities offer Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) courses for free. There may be a waiting period, but they remain an important stepping stone, especially for understanding the basics of grammar, pronunciation, and everyday vocabulary.
In parallel, a multitude of digital tools can complement and make learning more vibrant. Depending on your profile:
Choose an approach suited to your style to learn Swedish effectively and engagingly.
Courses based on progressive narratives to immerse you in simple but authentic Swedish.
Online individual tutoring platforms for flexible video sessions with native speakers.
Apps that allow importing books or articles, clicking on words to translate, and reviewing with vocabulary lists.
Free, playful apps to learn key phrases at your own pace.
The essential thing is not to choose the “perfect” tool, but to establish daily contact, even brief, with the language: a lesson, an easy Swedish podcast, a few lines from a beginner article, an episode of a series in original version with subtitles.
Using Swedish Integration Structures Instead of Enduring Them
Sweden has built an entire institutional apparatus to welcome and integrate newcomers: settlement programs, citizenship courses, employment search assistance. They may seem heavy and bureaucratic, especially when you’re already struggling with homesickness. Yet, used well, they offer a valuable framework and network.
Key Administrative Steps That Lighten the Mental Load
Even if paperwork is not comforting, administrative clarity reduces anxiety. Obtaining a few key elements will simplify your life enormously:
| Key Administrative Step | Why It Helps Reduce Stress |
|---|---|
| Get a personnummer (personal identity number) | Full access to healthcare system, banking, subscriptions, SFI, etc. |
| Register at a vårdcentral (healthcare center) | Ability to easily consult for physical or mental problems |
| Create a BankID | Simplified access to most public and private online services |
| Register for Swedish courses (SFI) | Structure in the schedule, first social contacts |
| Contact Arbetsförmedlingen if looking for a job | Access to employment market integration, training, and coaching programs |
Every time you check one of these boxes, you reduce the feeling of living “between two worlds” and strengthen your sense of concrete belonging to Swedish society.
Integration Programs and Resources
For recently arrived people, especially from non-EU countries, there are schemes like the Etableringsprogrammet (settlement program), run by the public employment service. It combines language courses, employment coaching, information about society, and sometimes internship periods. Participation involves a 40-hour per week rhythm, which may seem intense, but provides structure and regular social interaction.
Civic orientation courses explain the fundamentals of Swedish society, like the healthcare system, taxation, school, as well as rights and duties. These contents, available in several languages on platforms like “informationsverige.se” or the “Book of Sweden” guides, help reduce the feeling of drifting and dependence by facilitating understanding of how society functions.
When Homesickness Becomes Too Heavy: Seeking Help in Sweden
In contemporary Swedish culture, talking about mental health is relatively destigmatized. This is a huge advantage for an expat or international student: you are not expected to “tough it out” alone.
How the Mental Health Care System Works
The healthcare system is public, tax-funded, and managed at the regional level. For non-urgent issues (persistent sadness, strong anxiety, difficulties functioning daily), the typical path is as follows:
After obtaining a personnummer, you need to register at a healthcare center (vårdcentral). An appointment with a general practitioner allows for an assessment of the situation. This professional can provide initial support, prescribe sick leave or medication, and issue a referral (remiss) to a psychologist or psychiatrist. Depending on your region, a referral to primary care psychology services or reimbursed online therapy is also possible.
Consultations in the public system are low-cost (usually between 100 and 300 SEK per session), and a frikort mechanism (annual ceiling) means that beyond a certain cumulative amount, visits become free for the rest of the year.
However, be realistic: wait times can be long for non-urgent care, and the approaches offered will often be limited (mainly short-term cognitive-behavioral therapies).
Alternatives and Complements
Alongside the classic system, several other options exist:
Different pathways to psychological support, adapted to various needs and budgets.
Apps integrated into the public health system, with video consultations by psychologists. Cost similar to a healthcare center visit, eligible for the frikort system (medical fee cap).
Most major universities offer free, confidential psychological consultations for their students.
Generally faster access, with choice of therapist, language (often English), and method (psychodynamic, EMDR, IFS…). Cost: about 800 to 2000 SEK per session.
Allow searching for a psychologist in your language, even located abroad, sometimes at lower rates.
In case of emergency (suicidal thoughts, acute crisis), the Swedish emergency number is 112. For non-urgent but quick medical advice, 1177 allows you to speak to a nurse who can direct you.
The key is not to wait for the situation to be “catastrophic” before asking for help. Homesickness becomes problematic when it durably impairs your ability to function, to take care of yourself, your studies, your work, or your relationships.
Give Yourself Time: Integration as a Marathon, Not a Sprint
A frequent mistake is to compare yourself to others: that colleague who seems perfectly at ease after six months, that student who already has a group of Swedes around them, that couple posting idyllic photos in Lapland. Yet studies on cross-cultural adaptation show that the process is deeply individual, linked to personality, life experience, social resources, cultural distance, family situation.
Rather than aiming to “be Swedish” at all costs, it’s often healthier to set realistic goals: to feel generally well most of the time, to understand the codes enough not to feel constantly at fault, to identify a few people with whom you can be yourself, in your entirety.
Homesickness doesn’t completely disappear and often returns in waves during special events like family holidays, weddings, deaths, or political crises in the home country. The goal isn’t to eliminate it, but to know how to deal with it when it arises. Prepare by identifying concrete actions to take: decide who to call for comfort, where to go for a walk, what comforting recipe to cook, or what soothing light to turn on to feel better.
In Sweden, between fika, friluftsliv, lagom, and a social system designed not to leave anyone completely by the wayside, you have many levers at your disposal. By combining them with your own resources, your culture, and your loved ones, you can transform this country – so far from home – into a place that truly matters in your story, without erasing the one you left.
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
