The home moving process is regarded as one of the most stressful events in a person’s life. That’s right – you’ll often hear and read that moving house is stressful, but it’s not until you find yourself packing up your first boxes for a move that you’ll understand the true meaning of it all.
Pure stress aside, a house move can also offer an unhealthy cocktail of strong emotions you’ll likely face and, hopefully, learn to control throughout the preparation period and on Moving day itself: surprise, denial, confusion, fear, sadness, anger, anxiety, and even depression.
Some things will always stay outside your control, so, for your own sake and for the sake of your family, it’s imperative that you manage to stay calm during a move.
And before you answer back that it’s easier said than done, read these hand-picked calming techniques you should use during your move to keep the emotional side of moving under control.
It can be a real challenge for you to stay calm during a move. Here’s how to do it:
Give yourself enough time
One thing that can keep you really worried and anxious since Day 1 is whether or not you will have ENOUGH TIME to finish your preparation on time. Just HOW can you stay CALM when you know that time is ticking away and you may not be able to get ready for the Big day?
One great way to keep your cool throughout the move is to give yourself more time. This way, it’ll be pretty easy on your nervous system to know that you have extra days to spare in case a problem does appear out of nowhere.
Secure more TIME for your own move:
- Begin the moving preparations as soon as possible.
- Start packing your things without delay.
- Stay organized with the help of a detailed moving checklist.
See also: How to save time when moving to a new home
Control your moving expenses
The thing is that it’s almost impossible to stay calm during a move when you know that your MONEY and even LIFE SAVINGS will be on the line. Moving to another home can be an expensive affair – according to the American Moving and Storage Organization (AMSA), the average cost of an interstate move costs around $4,300 (for a distance of 1,225 miles).
So, it’s clear that you’re going to have to manage well your moving budget in order to remain fairly cool and composed through the entire house move.
To be your own financial manager and advisor, make sure you:
- Find an affordable moving company that offers high-quality services /read how to do it/
- Create a moving budget to monitor your expenses.
- Purge your home of unnecessary items to reduce the moving costs.
- Sell some unwanted items to add fresh cash to your budget /online or at a garage sale/.
Good info: How to reduce moving costs
Let professionals worry about Moving day
It’ll be Mission Impossible to stay calm when you’re burdened with the tough job of organizing a successful house move. The sheer number of tasks that need to be completed can easily overwhelm you and make you worried and frustrated.
To make things worse, Moving day can present a number of risks and dangers for you and your family due to the fact that so many heavy items will be lifted and carried around the home, then taken all the way to the moving vehicle to be loaded. And, it’s the disquieting thought that one wrong step may compromise Moving Day safety and lead to accidents – both personal injuries and property damage.
So, how to stay calm while moving house? Eliminate all risks and dangers on the day of your move. Transfer the heavy burden and immense responsibility to experienced professionals who know how to keep things safe and perform well under pressure.
Important: When is it worth hiring a moving company?
Get enough sleep and eat well
Getting ready to move out is an extremely busy and exhausting period so it’s important to recognize your own limits and not push yourself too hard.
Sometimes it can be tempting to cut down your sleep hours in order to get more work done. Try to avoid this, whenever possible. The truth is that not getting enough sleep will lead to fatigue, which in turn can easily make you irritable, cranky and stressed out.
Make an effort to keep a consistent bedtime because your mind and body need the rest to be able to perform well during your waking hours. Remember that proper sleep is crucial – it’ll help you remain calm when faced with the mental and physical challenges of a home move.
Also, try to maintain a healthy balanced diet throughout the move. It’s no secret that your body needs nutrients so that you can have the required energy to work on your moving agenda and minimize the stress and anxiety that come with a household move. Make sure you don’t skip any major meals throughout the day and include fresh vegetables, fruits, and water in your daily diet.
Good to know: How to eat healthy when moving house
Find time to do what you love
Another great way to stay calm when moving is to “steal” some time to do what you love and enjoy. Dedicate at least one hour a day for your favorite activities and you’ll notice a huge difference in the way you deal with the stress, anxiety, and fears of the home moving process.
Do what you love and you’ll feel refreshed and energized to keep working on the moving tasks at hand.
- NATURE. Surround yourself with nature to calm yourself down. Go for a walk in the city park, sit on a bench and just spend some quiet and peaceful time with your thoughts. Even a short walk in nature can recharge your batteries in no time.
- GAMES. Play games to break the monotony of packing, for example. It can be a board game or a computer game – the important thing is to give your mind a relaxing break.
- BOOKS. Read from your favorite book whenever you get the chance to clear your mind of all move-related issues.
- MUSIC. Play some relaxing music to calm your mind when the stress and anxiety and worries of moving become too much to handle. Quiet classical music is proven to decrease the stress level by slowing the pulse and heart rate and lowering the blood pressure.
- YOGA. Do some yoga exercises if that’s your thing. 10-15 minutes of yoga a day will be hugely beneficial for your emotional equilibrium when moving house.
- BREATHING TECHNIQUES. Breathe deeply for a few minutes when things become too overwhelming for you. Sit on the ground, close your eyes and focus on inhaling and exhaling slowly to regain the peacefulness inside you.
- FRIENDS. Last but surely not least, make a genuine effort to spend as much time with your friends as possible while you’re getting ready to move out. Hanging around close friends you will calm you down and will give you the strength to handle well your relocation project. As an added bonus, you can always invite your pals to an unforgettable packing party.
Read also: How to make moving day less stressful
Focus on the positives
One good way to make moving less stressful and anxious is to stay optimistic about the success of the relocation process and about what the future holds for you in the new town or city. Don’t let negative thoughts creep into your head during that transitional period – instead, try hard to focus on the positive aspects of your house move.
Write on a piece of paper all the benefits that the upcoming relocation will bring for you. Good examples include
- a fresh start in a new town or city,
- an opportune moment to make new friends,
- a chance for living in a nicer home or getting a better job,
- a unique opportunity to learn from your previous mistakes.
Fight your moving anxiety to get a sense of calmness and composure during that tough period in your life.
Must-read: How to deal with strong emotions when moving house
Great article .Read it in a quiet calm place. GT