Thanksgiving just passed. Normally, for most people, the holiday season feels familiar. Time with family, traditions, a break from routine and a chance to reconnect with who you are outside of work.
But for those hooping overseas? It’s a whole different world.
When you’re playing abroad, the holidays can be one of the toughest mental stretches of the entire season. You’re thousands of miles from home, your support system is on another continent, and the games keep coming whether you’re emotionally ready or not.
And the worst part, you realize that life goes on without you back home!
Most people don’t think about this part of the overseas experience. They see the highlights and the Instagram stories but not the empty locker room on December 24th, the quiet apartment after practice, or the feeling of missing out on everything familiar.
But here’s the thing: the way you handle this stretch says a lot about your ability to survive overseas long-term. This time of year tests three things players need to succeed:
Autonomy – your ability to stand on your own, far from home.
Competence – staying sharp when your motivation gets shaky.
Relatedness – finding connection when the people you love aren’t physically close.
That last one is where most players struggle. That’s where the loneliness creeps in. That’s where doubts show up. This is why dialing in your mental game matters. You need tools. You need ways to keep your thoughts from drifting to negativity, to manage the homesickness, and to stay focused on why you’re here in the first place.
Here are a few strategies for overseas players:
Re-examine your “why.”
When the holidays hurt, remind yourself what this sacrifice is for. Your goals. Your dream. Your growth. Your future.
Use productive self-talk.
Your mind will drift toward the negative by default. You have to choose what you feed it. Replace the “I’m missing everything” with “I’m building something.”
Practice gratitude.
Write down what you appreciate such as your opportunity, your career, your support system back home. Gratitude doesn’t erase the pain, but it gives it context.
Control the controllable.
You can’t get home right now. You can’t change the schedule. But you can control your habits, your effort, your approach, your communication, your recovery, and your mental state.
Over the years, I’ve seen players who crumbled during this stretch, and others who used it to sharpen their resilience, patience, and identity beyond basketball. Those players last. They mature. They level up. Because being overseas isn’t just about hooping. It’s about learning who you are when the comfort is gone.
At SJM Consulting, I help players navigate these unseen challenges so they don’t just survive the holiday stretch, they grow through it, mentally and professionally.
If you’re feeling it right now, you’re not alone. And you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Let’s Talk…