7 Tips to Reduce Stress While Moving
Moving can be a stressful time if you allow it. Depending on your individual situation, you may feel a bit of excitement, dread, happiness, sadness, or a whole plethora of emotions. However, there are ways you can reduce stress while moving – and most of these tips just require some extra thought and a little bit of time upfront to keep you from stressing later.
How to reduce stress while moving:
- Start early. Give yourself enough time to get everything done if possible so you’re not scrambling at the last minute. Time can be one of the biggest stressors in most situations in life, and moving is no exception. Knowing you’ve given yourself enough time to pack, move, and get settled will help ease your mind as you prepare for moving day.
-
Declutter your home first. Before you go crazy with some boxes and packing tape, declutter your home (click here for some tips). Clutter adds to stress and can make you feel like you’re making less progress than you are when you begin to pack. Moving gives you a great opportunity to sift through your belongings and determine which items can be donated, stored long-term, or thrown away.
-
Protect your belongings. Pack with intention (getting started early will help you!). Pack valuable, fragile items with plenty of packing paper and bubble wrap, and keep your really valuable items such as jewelry with you as you move. Make sure you trust the people moving your stuff as well. Not having to worry about the state of your items will help you relax throughout the moving journey.
-
Set aside some extra cash. Money may already be tight for you. Make sure you’ve thought of all the typical moving expenses, such as a moving van, storage, gas, boxes, and maybe even a moving crew. Once you’ve arrived at the total cost of these things, set aside that amount along with a little extra. The truth is moving can come with surprises, and feeling short on cash will only add to the stress. Scale back on the number of times you eat out or the money you spend on clothes for a month or two to ensure you’re set up for any unexpected financial surprises.
-
Book your friends and family in advance. It can be tough to get friends and family to agree to help you move, especially as you get closer to your moving day. As soon as you set your moving day, begin reaching out to family and friends who can help in any way – whether that’s moving boxes or babysitting, lending their truck or grabbing dinner for you. The more helping hands you have, the less stress you’ll feel.
-
Delegate tasks. Once you’ve booked your family and friends (and maybe even a moving company), begin delegating responsibilities. As mentioned above, think of the things that aren’t even moving-related: the things like babysitting and getting food for everyone. The less you have to worry about, the more peace you’ll have during the entire process. You could likely get away with doing it all on your own, but never try, or you’ll certainly feel stressed until it’s all over.
-
Be prepared to sacrifice your regular routine. During this time, your normal routine will be compromised. As you pack up your kitchen, you won’t be able to cook at home as often. As you begin organizing and packing your closet, your morning routine of getting ready will be a little different. You’ll have to say no to some things for a few weeks as you spend time preparing your home for the big move. Things will feel different, but as long as you’re prepared for this time, you’ll feel a lot less stressed. View it as a fun break from the norm and take it one day at a time!
Need some help moving? Check out more blog posts here and learn about our storage options to help reduce stress even more here. If you have any questions about moving or storing, don’t hesitate to reach out to us here!