5 Ways to Cope with Moving Stress
The prospect of moving to new territory can be exciting. It can also be very stressful. You have to psych yourself up to face the rigorous planning, coordination, heavy lifting, and hard work that it entails.
Everything usually works out well in the end. If you want to make the moving process a bit lighter and easier from the very beginning, however, it pays to keep a few important things in mind.
You may find the following tips on how to cope with moving stress helpful:
Give yourself an adequate amount of time to do everything
Most people find moving stressful because they try to do a lot of things in very little time.
You’ll breathe more easily by allotting sufficient time to get everything done. You can probably pack up a one-bedroom apartment or a studio in 3 to 4 days. If you’re dealing with a three-bedroom house, give yourself 6 to 7 days to get everything boxed and labeled.
Don’t leave out the other essential steps that go with moving. Do thorough research to choose and call a rental truck or a moving company. Set up the essential utilities in the house that you’re moving to so you would at least have water and electricity when you arrive. Make sure that the house you leave is acceptably clean.
Draw up a to-do list that includes the estimated time to finish every item. Waiting to do things at the last minute is a guarantee for stress and anxiety.
Start small
Most people find it daunting to move because they tend to look at the process as one enormous, time-consuming task. They feel paralyzed by the entire prospect. They don’t know where or how to start.
It is perfectly alright to start small. In fact, organizational experts suggest that you start small. Start with one little thing. Do another – and another one after that. Before long, you will realize that you’re making a serious dent on your to-do list.
Start with getting something, no matter how small, done. Get your books into a box. Pack up one kitchen drawer. Fold up your clothes and put them in a box.
Moving can be daunting. Packing everything you own, moving or shipping them to a new location, and unpacking them again in your new home is serious business. Don’t allow yourself to become intimidated by the process. Just focus on getting the work done a piece at a time, and you’ll be okay.
Plan and organize your move
Moving requires time, focus, and energy. Planning and organizing your move helps you maximize the use of your resources.
It is stressful to just try to “wing it” when it comes to moving. It is better to plan what to do. Planning prevents problems that can cause a lot of stress. It reduces uncertainty. It relieves nervousness and stress. Planning ahead and thinking about what helpful measures to take help you make a smooth, efficient, and relatively worry-free move.
Make a moving checklist. Write down reminders about the many important things you have to do before, during, and after the move. Prepare a timeline. Cross out items as you finish doing them.
A check-list allows you to visualize the move in concrete terms. You’ll feel relief and satisfaction as you cross off more and more items from your list.
The list also allows you to visualize how the move will end. Imagining your new home with everything in place will inspire you to carry on. It gives you a good feeling.
Hire trained movers
Nothing reduces stress like delegating some of the most important aspects of the job to professional movers. Having trained people do the heavy lifting is a great load off your shoulders. You also have the option of asking movers to help safely wrap up and box fragile and hard-to-pack things like art and lamps.
By reducing your own workload, you also reduce your stress. Hire movers who have a proven track record for being trustworthy and dependable.
Stay positive
Some things may still go wrong even if you plan and prepare for every eventuality. Try to go with the flow. Be flexible. Take time out to breathe and recharge. Always include some wiggle room so that you are able to easily adjust and remain calm and steady even when something goes wrong.
The stress associated with moving does not only come from worrying about packing and moving your things and fixing up your new home. It also comes primarily from having to uproot yourself from your old home and everything that it represents. Try to stay positive. Always look at moving from a bright and positive angle. This will give your efforts a new purpose.
When you think about your new home, create a positive and pleasant picture. Think about how happy you’ll be. Be excited about making new friends. Imagine how successful you are going to be in your new job. When you nurture happy thoughts, you’ll feel more comfortable about the changes that moving entails.