Sometimes unpacking can prove to be trickier than packing. But why, you may wonder.
The task of packing for a move has a clear deadline – Moving day, while the unpacking job does not really have such a time limit, so it’s much easier for you to enter a Procrastination Mode and keep postponing the unpacking task for a later time.
Unpacking procrastination is more common than you might think. It often happens after a really stressful and exhausting move when you do find it extremely hard to get into the right mindset to unpack while deeming it virtually impossible to summon up your remaining ounces of energy to start opening those boxes.
Oh, and your motivation to unpack is nowhere to be seen either.
One thing is clear – you won’t really enjoy living in a sea of unopened cardboard boxes, so sooner or later (understand sooner), you’ll just have to get enough unpacking motivation and get to work. After all, you won’t be able to get really settled in your new place until you’re done with unpacking too.
Here are the top tips and tricks to help you get motivated to unpack after moving.
Set an unpacking deadline
If you’ve been tripping over those cardboard boxes for weeks now, then you may need to set a deadline by which to unpack and organize after the move. As mentioned above, it’s much easier to keep delaying the unpacking task when you don’t have a set time limit.
The best way to put a stop to the unpacking procrastination is to schedule an event in your home sometime in the upcoming weeks – a housewarming party, for example. This way, you’ll have the extra incentive to finish the unpacking job by then simply because you wouldn’t want your guests to see the chaos your home is in right now.
Interesting to know: How to motivate yourself to pack when moving
Follow a great unpacking checklist
One very demotivating factor that can influence negatively your motivation to unpack after moving is that you may not be sure what items and which rooms to unpack first. Combine that with the fact that unpacking can take many days to complete, you just end up doing nothing in the hope that, as if by magic, somebody else would do it for you.
The mere thought of having to unpack after a move can be daunting and overwhelming but you can get such demotivating thoughts out of your head by using a good room-by-room unpacking checklist. Unpacking will become much easier and faster when you know that you have a good fool-proof plan to help you unpack in a logical way.
Read also: How to unpack quickly after moving
Unpack one room at a time
Don’t stress yourself out by thinking about how you’ll have to unpack all your belongings in one giant attempt. That unpacking strategy is definitely not realistic, so don’t kill your unpacking motivation even before you’ve started that important post-move task.
Instead, try to understand that the best way to unpack after moving is to focus on one room at a time. Generally speaking, you should start unboxing your stuff from the bathroom and bedroom since you’ll desperately need to make those two rooms usable first of all: to take a shower and have a rest – or go directly to bed depending on your time of arrival.
Unpacking your kitchen should be your next priority task.
See also: What to unpack first when moving to a new home
Increase the unpacking speed gradually
When unpacking after a move, it’s important that you start off easy and then build up the unpacking momentum slowly and gradually to let your mind and body get used to it all. Even though you no longer have a deadline to worry about, your decision to tackle a big unpacking project from the very beginning can prove to be more than you can handle.
Unpack at your own comfortable pace to keep your unpacking motivation for much longer. Start with something easy that doesn’t require any special planning or too much thinking – unpacking and organizing your books, for example.
Useful info: What to do on the first day in a new home
Play your favorite music while unpacking
As a rule of thumb, you should avoid harmful distractions while unpacking – anything from watching TV and talking on the phone to checking your social media accounts every 15 minutes or so. Pets and kids running around the new home and craving for attention can also slow down your unpacking progress and leave you with little or no motivation to unpack.
Want to know how to unpack efficiently after moving? It’s simple: play music while you’re working. Music will keep you entertained (unpacking is boring, remember?) while not taking your attention away from what you’re currently doing – unpacking and organizing your stuff after the move.
Good to know: What to do with packing materials after a move
Ask for unpacking help
It’s not easy to find motivation to unpack after moving, especially when you know that you’ll have to be the one to tackle that burden of a task. And that is the right time to make unpacking easier for yourself by securing at least one other set of hands to help you unpack and organize your things.
The no-motivation issue is only in your head – the moment you recruit friends to help you unpack will be the moment your unpacking motivation returns, no questions asked. In addition to the notion that Many hands make light work, you’ll also get somebody by your side to encourage you to keep unpacking until you’re done.
Also, consider organizing an unpacking party – the ideal occasion to mix business with pleasure in an attempt to boost your own unpacking motivation.
See also: How to make friends in a new city
Reward yourself
One of the best ways to get motivated to unpack after moving is to reward yourself for the efforts once you’re done with that tedious and time-consuming post-relocation job. This tactic works with a big reward of some sort – something you’ve wanted to get yourself for some time now. The thing you bribe yourself with should be something meaningful to you – something that you’ll supposedly be really looking forward to during your search for any extra motivation to unpack.
Another strategy to get motivated to start and continue unpacking is to break the enormous project into much smaller and manageable tasks, and then keep rewarding yourself after marking each such task as DONE. Keep those rewards small and easily achievable – catching a movie after unpacking the kitchen dishes or going to a good restaurant after unpacking and arranging all of your clothes.
Must-read: How to reward yourself after moving
Unpacking does seem easier and even more “fun” than packing because you know that the hardest part of your move is already over. In fact, the whole unpacking project is supposed to give you that unique chance to relax and settle down in the new place, slowly but surely. And yet, you may find unpacking to be a nearly impossible task for you, especially if you really don’t have the required time or happen to be coping with relocation depression at that time, or both.
And should all your efforts to get motivated to unpack after moving fail miserably, then the good news is that you still got an ace up your sleeve – to hire professionals unpackers to unpack for you.
