Coping with house moving stress

 

How to Cope with the Stress of Moving

Moving homes is a fact of life. It’s common to move locally several times in one’s life, and for some, moving long distance to a new town, city, or even province more than once in their lifetime is also quite common. But, unfortunately, knowing that we’ll all have to move at some point doesn’t make the process and transition any easier or less stressful.

Uprooting your life, or even just changing homes and dealing with all the long work that goes into a move, is disruptive and stressful whatever your age or situation. But, understanding why you’re feeling stressed and learning how to cope with the stress of moving can help.

Why is moving stressful?

Before you can learn to cope with the stress of moving, you need to understand why the experience causes these types of feelings and reactions. There are several possible reasons, and those that apply to you will depend on your reason for moving, your personality, and other factors: 

Note: there will be a person that you are living specifically if they have issues of their own and get so abusive as well then be mindful that they are stressed as well and there need to be respectful behaviour on both sides. Some people with autism may struggle with changes.

• DISRUPTION:  Moving means change, and change inherently causes stress. A move is going to change your daily routine and add a number of tasks to your day until you’re settled in your new home. The moving process can take weeks and life doesn’t stop for it, so most of us still have to work or manage family obligations like getting kids to school and activities at the same time. All this can add even more stress to your daily life.
• WORRIES: If you’ll be moving away from friends and family, it’s normal to feel worried about how life will be in your new city. You may also have fears about making connections in your new community and feeling comfortable in your new home. Worries can also relate to the short term, such as concerns about the moving process itself and some of the cost uncertainties. Regardless of the distance you’re moving there’s always a lot involved in the process. Finding a moving company, sorting and packing your belongings, getting everything to your new home and then unpacking and getting settled are only a few of the things you’ll have to do. You’ll also have to update and change your home service providers, update banks and doctors, and if you have children you may also have to enroll them in a new school or find childcare in your new location.
• EXHAUSTION: Planning and sorting out the many aspects of your move can become mentally tiring. Plus, there’s the physical labour of sorting and packing your possessions into boxes, moving them, and then unpacking in your new home. It’s also common for there to be late nights and early mornings throughout the process. So, feeling tired, overwhelmed and exhausted is normal.
• DOUBTS: You may wonder if you’ve made the right decision about moving. You may question whether you should have stayed in your current home or neighbourhood or if you should have chosen a different location. It’s normal to have doubts about big life decisions and purchases like buying and selling a new home and moving.
• LIFE CHANGES: Your reason for moving can also be due to a significant change in your life. It could be a good thing like a new job or a new addition to the family, but it can also be a more challenging life change that you didn’t foresee such as divorce, loss of a job or a death in the family. These changes can be stressful on their own, so when they’re combined with a move, the effects can be compounded and your stress level amplified.

Once you’ve identified the reasons and causes of your stress, you can develop strategies to combat the problem. Recognizing and eliminating some of the anxiety caused by moving can help you to regain a sense of adventure and feel the excitement of a new start. In this article we’ll explore different reasons for moving, the types of stress they might cause, and tips to combat that stress and feel better about your move.

Think carefully about possessions.

Typical moving advice is to start by throwing out your clutter — any objects you rarely use or no longer need. However, with extra emotions, it’s more difficult to know what you’re ready to surrender and what possessions you should keep. Make smart decisions and hold on to anything you’re not yet ready to throw out.

If you have items that cause painful reminders or are associated with negative memories, now might be the time to either throw them out or donate them. But, if you’re still not quite ready to let them go, consider putting them into storage for the time being rather than bringing them to your new home.

For items that have strong sentimental value and bring positive memories, those would be good things to bring with you to help make your new house feel like home. Be sure to pack them with care and label boxes containing these types of items with “fragile” or “memories” so that they make it safely to your new home and they’re easy to find once you arrive.

I hope this helps you on the house moving journey.