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Last Updated: May 13, 2024
Find out how to minimise stress and maintain your emotional well-being during a move. Get insider tips on hiring the best moving company, understanding moving costs, and practising stress management techniques for a smooth transition.
Hey, looking forward to your move soon? Well, you’re in the right place. Gearing up for a big move can be an exhilarating experience as the stress starts creeping in, but don’t fret. You are in the right place.
In this comprehensive guide, we will take a deep dive into moving stress and help you easily navigate the process. So, grab a cup of coffee (or tea; we don’t discriminate), take a deep breath, and begin unpacking every nook and cranny of moving stress.
First things first, let’s talk about what exactly we mean by “moving stress”. Consistently ranked as one of life’s most stressful events, moving from one home to another is a pivotal milestone, hence the stress it provokes and how it is comparable to divorce and starting a new job.
No wonder moving is ranked that high, as there is a lot to balance and juggle in saying goodbye to familiar surroundings, coordinating logistics, and ensuring that the physical demands of packing and lifting are met. But the good news is that the process is manageable as long as you understand where this particular stress is from.
Understanding the sources of moving stress as soon as it manifests is the first step toward effectively managing it. You are already facing the challenges head-on.
What you need is to arm yourself with strategies to overcome them. This way, you can minimize stress and even enjoy the process, treasuring these brief moments of joy amidst the chaos.
Now that we’ve set the tone let’s jump into the nitty-gritty of the stress management process. An excellent way to start preparing your stuff on a moving day is to separate your items by utility. This process is called decluttering. In other words, it helps to figure out and carefully assess the things you no longer need and the ones that you do.
This way, you reduce moving stress by training your mind to pour your attention into packing the stuff you need in your next living space. Trust me, you don’t want to be lugging around boxes of random paraphernalia. Just start going through every room at home and sort items by category: keep, donate, sell, or toss.
Be ruthless. It truly helps if you forego sentimental value for things you haven’t used in the past few years and no longer bring you joy. Let them go. Just do it.
Not only will decluttering significantly lighten the number of pieces you’re bringing with you, but it’ll also help you start anew and welcome new pieces to grace your newfound life.
Now that you’re done decluttering, it’s time to shift your focus to the logistics of your move. Enter the moving plan. What exactly does a moving plan do, you might ask? A moving plan is your roadmap to a seamless and stress-free relocation experience.
Begin by setting a realistic timeline for each stage of the moving process, from packing and hiring movers to forwarding your mail and updating your address. Remember to account for bottlenecks, better known as unforeseen or unexpected delays. Trust me, there are going to be occasional hiccups in between.
A moving plan compartmentalizes the moving process into manageable increments, giving you plenty of leeway to confront each stage. This makes you feel more involved, organized, and mindful every step of the way.
There is nothing more tedious than packing – a stage almost everyone dreads. Wrapping, boxing, moving, and unwrapping your things is a frustrating, but necessary process. It can be tempting to move things as is, but that has grave consequences, namely breakage in transit. Fortunately, with some strategy and maneuvers, you can easily pack like a pro and breeze through this stage.
Gather high-quality packing supplies such as but not limited to sturdy boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, and packing paper. It helps to divide your packing tasks by room as it helps with spatial familiarity and muscle memory.
For instance, each family member would like to consider packing individual personal effects first, then packing stuff in the shared areas last, such as the shared table in the living room.
By methodically labeling each box with its contents inside, whether fragile or not, and noting the room it belongs to, taking out items will be way easier later on.
Pro tip: it helps to pack your own “first-night” box with essentials such as toiletries, a change of clothes, and bedding to make yourself comfortable in your new space, so you’re not scrambling to unpack items and have them on hand instead for your convenience.
Moving day has arrived – enter the excitement (and maybe some anxiety). But don’t let that get to you because you’ve gone this far, and your weeks of hard work, organization, and preparation have finally paid off. You are ready to breeze through your moving day like a pro. Make sure your dates and necessary paperwork are in order.
Double-check all pertinent information about the logistics, including your movers’ estimated arrival time from your place to the destination and a contingency plan in case of unforeseen delays.
Pack a bag for your “moving day survival kit essentials” and fill it with food, water, a phone charger, cleaning supplies, valuables, and important documents.
Lastly, dedicate a particular space as your central command station where you can track outbound boxes, coordinate with your movers, and entertain any last-minute questions or concerns. With a solid plan, you’ll undoubtedly face moving day confidently and superbly.
Congratulations – you’ve made it to your new home sweet home. But before you completely unwind and bid the moving day goodbye, observing these few final steps is essential to ensure a smooth transition and culminating this memorable stage in your move. This is the right time to unpack your “first-night” box so your essentials become accessible.
Proceed to prioritize unpacking your things from urgently needed sections of the house, such as the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, so you can start settling in and make yourself feel at home, acclimating to your new living space.
While unpacking, take the opportunity to assess your new space and accordingly aesthetically position your furniture and decor. And don’t forget to take quick breaks and graciously give yourself leeway – moving can be exhausting and takes a toll on you both physically and emotionally. Take it one box at a time at your pace, and before you know it, you’ve finally settled in, ready to face exciting memories in your newfound chapter of your life.
And there you have it – your complete guide to overcoming moving stress like a true connoisseur. We’ve thoroughly covered key points for decluttering, packing, organizing, and settling into your new space.
Not only have you successfully confronted the challenging times, but you have also unlocked this opportunity for growth. To new adventures and new beginnings as you embrace the journey.
Soon, you will meet people and lean on your future support system. Take the time to care for yourself along the way with a positive attitude and effective planning to be all geared up to tackle whatever comes your way.
Meet Nik, a dedicated writer with a passion for real estate/moving blogs and, of course… writing. For the past two years, he’s crafted engaging content for a plethora of real estate firms and E-commerce companies, accumulating credibility and experience to be one of the best in the industry. Having relocated multiple times recently, Nik has utilized a plethora of moving companies, gaining valuable insight into both solo and professional moves. Through these experiences, he would recommend moving with professional services, as it lowers stress levels tremendously. When he’s not immersed in his writing, you can find him working on other entrepreneurial endeavors in the real estate/moving space.