Routine is the foundation
Same wake time, same wind-down, regular meals, exercise at fixed times. The brain craves predictability when the environment keeps changing.
Connection home
A daily 10-minute call beats a weekly hour-long one. Video where possible. Boring updates ('I changed a tap', 'work was fine') matter more than dramatic news.
The third place
A coffee shop you visit each Saturday, a parkrun, a pub quiz. Having one consistent away-from-home routine gives the brain something to anchor to.