There are many reasons why people move to another state – work, love, education, family, retirement, climate, safety, health, and so on. But one powerful yet often overlooked incentive to move across the country is when people are moving away because they are desperately looking to start a new life in a different state.
If you’re also looking for a way out of your current situation, then a fresh start in a new state can be exactly what you need to feel alright again. In a sense, moving to another state to start over is just like restarting your life, but this time you’ll know what to look out for and won’t make the same mistakes again.
Here’s what you should know when moving to another state to start over.
Table of Contents
1. Make sure you’re making the right choice
For whatever reason, you wish to start over in a new state. And that’s fine. But before you pull the trigger – that is, to move away and start over, you have to be absolutely sure that you’re doing the right thing.
Ideally, you won’t have any doubts that moving away and starting over in a new state is the right choice for you. If you feel 100% sure moving is the only viable option for you, then it’s time to start working on your pre-move preparations without any delay.
Remember to use a detailed MOVING CHECKLIST to manage your time efficiently – after all, you can’t afford to lose any precious time when there are so many things to do before Moving day.
However, if you’re not entirely sure that the right time to relocate has come, then you’d better think it all through before it’s too late. Weigh carefully the pros and cons of moving to another state and then reassess your particular situation so that you don’t get to experience bitter regrets after the move.
See also: What to do when you regret moving
2. Don’t move any items reminiscent of the past
When moving to another state to escape your past, one thing that you should absolutely do is go carefully through your belongings and set aside any items that will keep reminding you of whatever it is that you’re trying to run away from (mostly bad memories).
Whatever the underlying reason for wanting to move away (far away!), you’d love to start a new life in a new state, so the last thing you’d want is to haul the things that will only trigger the very memories you’re trying to get rid of one way or another.
Once you’ve set aside all the items you won’t be moving with you, then it’s time to decide their fate. And considering the circumstances, donating them to charity should feel like the right thing to do.
We all need a fresh start from time to time, and if you have the chance to start over in another state, then you should take the presented opportunity and never look back.
Good to know: How to declutter your home before moving
3. Consider NOT asking your friends for help
Under normal house-moving circumstances, you’re very likely to ask your close friends to give you a hand with some of the tougher move-related tasks such as packing and moving furniture pieces out of the home.
However, in this particular relocation case, you may want to move to another state to start over because of your friends, or at least some of them. Starting over in a new city can be a great opportunity to get a fresh start and surround yourself with new and better friends – ones who won’t force you to move away again.
So, if you’re thinking about moving out without anyone knowing – not even your pals, then your only option to keep your sanity is to hire one of the best interstate moving companies in your area. The pros will help you out with whatever moving assistance you need without caring about why you want to move to another state to start over.
Read also: How to move out without anyone knowing
4. Make the new place feel like home
You’re moving to another state to start over with a clean slate, so one thing you will probably want to do is decorate the new place in a way that’s entirely different from the way your previous home was furnished and arranged.
The idea, of course, is to be able to break away from the lingering memories of the old place by creating a brand-new setting where you will be able to concentrate on the present and the future.
Arrange the new place exactly the way you’ve always wanted – all you have to do is wake up the dormant interior designer in you. Start arranging furniture in a new and bold way and add colorful decorations and vitality that you never thought possible before.
Remember to apply the finishing touches as well – playing with various light sources and hanging framed photos on the walls to make the new place truly feel like home. At the end of the day, you should be able to feel calm, relaxed, and comfortable in that new house or apartment.
Good advice: How to make a new place feel like home
5. Keep in touch only with your best friend
Under normal circumstances, you’re strongly recommended to keep in touch with your pals after moving to a new state as a way to fight the negative effects of relocation depression (aka separation anxiety) and speed up the adaptation process.
This time, however, you’re hoping for a fresh start in a new state so the most logical course of action for you would be to keep the number of links to the past to a minimum. You can still stay in touch with your best friend in the entire world, but you should keep your gaze fixed on the future, for that often proves to be the better way to start over in a new town, in a new state.
Moving to a new state gives you the perfect chance to meet new people and build new relationships without repeating any serious mistakes from your past. This time, you’ll be much more careful about who you trust and who you let into your little peculiar world. Right?
Must-read: What to do after moving to another state
6. Make an effort to make new friends
If you really want to start over in a new city, then one excellent way to make it work is to make new friends along the way.
Some people seem to make friends much harder than others and it’s possible that you also struggle to meet new people and make new meaningful relationships. It’s never easy to do it as it takes patience, perseverance, and an open mind to meet and befriend people with similar interests to yours.
Most of the time, it comes down to finding the courage within yourself to step out of your comfort zone and say yes to new adventures that are likely to be more exciting than you think. Think a little before you hastily turn down an invitation to go out and meet new people – you do want to have good friends around you, don’t you?
When you want to relocate to a new state and start over, the only way is forward. After the move, feel free to keep in touch with your best friend in the old place, but the only way to start with a clean slate is to make new friends as you go along.
See also: How to make friends in a new city
7. Use your job to breeze through the adaptation period
Moving to a new state and starting over is never an easy thing to do. Whether you realize it or not, once you reach your destination, you will get to experience the start of an adaptation period that can take anywhere from a few weeks to many months, or even years.
Wanting to move away and start over in a new state is one thing, getting to experience the full force of proper acclimatization to the new environment is something entirely different. And one thing that can really help you adjust to the new setting fairly painlessly is to concentrate on your job.
Steady work should give you financial stability and the daily contact with your work colleagues and business partners will help you speed up the adaptation process. The thing is that you never know who among your co-workers will become your next best friend.
As a bonus, more work will mean less time for you to fill your head with nostalgic thoughts about the past. You’ve moved away to start over, remember?
Read also: What to consider when relocating for a job
8. Take every opportunity to experience something new
Personal growth is only possible when you’re willing to take a big step out of your comfort zone and experience something new. This way, you are likely to become a stronger person, a more confident and independent man or woman who’s not afraid to experience new things and encounter new people.
Moving to a new state and starting over requires a certain state of mind, a great willingness to learn, and make specific changes to your lifestyle that will enable you to grow.
Right after the move, everything will be new and exciting, and each day could be a mini-adventure of its own. But you’ve longed for that change of scenery, so you shouldn’t shy away from excellent opportunities to explore the world around you and see things in a different light.
Starting over in a new city is the perfect opportunity to get the fresh start you’ve wanted for so long – so, don’t lock yourself inside your new place, filling your head with nostalgic thoughts of a life that’s already in the past.
Read also: Does moving to a new city help depression?
BONUS ADVICE: Find the courage to complete the move
Oftentimes, moving to another state to start over comes down to sheer courage. Bear in mind that the longer you postpone the move, the more difficult it will be to relocate. And before you know it, it’ll be years and you’ll still be at the old place, filled with regret that you’ve never found the courage to fulfill your innermost desire to move away.
Ready to move out? Hire top-rated movers to help you with your move.
