As much as we’d like to think otherwise, moving is a stressful experience. It’s often an expensive, time-consuming process that can lead to disrupted routines and a disorganized mess if you don’t take the time to prepare properly.
The good news? We know how to make moving less stressful. Whether you’re seeking long-distance moving services to help reduce the work you need to do yourself or just want some ideas for your DIY move, we can help.
Learn more about how to minimize stress during your move, including:
- Understanding the unique stressors of moving.
- Strategies to ease the stress of moving.
- Healthy coping mechanisms for your move.
- How to manage stress after moving day.
- How professional moving services can smooth over any wrinkles.
Understanding Moving Stress and Anxiety
What causes stress during a move? It’s a combination of different things. The stress and anxiety of moving can often stem from three major concerns:
- Packing and unpacking: Packing nearly everything you own into boxes takes time and energy. It can be physically and mentally exhausting.
- Coordinating logistics: Once your belongings are packed, you must figure out how to transport them. Additionally, you’ll need to synchronize move-out and move-in dates to seamlessly ensure your stuff ends up where it’s supposed to when it’s supposed to.
- Adjusting to a new environment: You know your way around your current home, neighborhood, and city. You have friends. Moving to a new place can mean starting from square one on all these fronts.
Why is Moving Stressful?
The stress of moving isn’t the same for everyone. Those who live alone may not have as much trouble coordinating schedules and ticking things off their moving checklist, but they also may not have friends to help pack. For some, moving stress may be centered around downsizing belongings in preparation to move into a smaller house.
Moving with kids or pets introduces wrinkles like school paperwork, keeping track of more stuff, and even safely transporting animals across state lines. These variables can quickly overwhelm even the calmest person.
Recognizing Moving Anxiety
Moving anxiety can manifest in different ways. For some people, it looks like restlessness and irritability. For others, difficulty concentrating. These symptoms arise because of disrupted routines, fear of the unknown, and the pressure of managing numerous tasks simultaneously. In addition, there’s something scary about adapting to a new environment and the emotional toll of leaving a familiar place.
Proactive Strategies to Ease the Stress of Moving
Because it can create anxiety and that anxiety can make moving even harder, it is important to learn how to make moving less stressful. You can do many different things before, during, and after your move to reduce your stress and stay happy.
Plan Way in Advance
Proactive planning is one of the best ways to help cope with moving stress. Planning your move with something as simple as a moving checklist allows you to set benchmarks and ensure everyone in your household stays on task. You know what needs to be done and when.
Planning ahead will often help you save on moving services and other associated costs, too. Trying to book everything at the last minute could lead to hiring movers who don’t have the same attention to detail your home deserves, or who overcharge.
Expect and Accept Stress
It’s impossible to completely eliminate moving stress. Maintain your mental health by embracing that fact that the negative feelings you’re experiencing are completely normal. Rest assured knowing you’re not alone. Everyone experiences some degree of moving stress. Try not to get overwhelmed by the process. Though if there’s something that’s making your move feel more challenging than usual, this next step is for you.
Recruit Help and Delegate Tasks
Whether you’re moving across town or the country, asking for help from friends and family is even more important when moving on a tight budget. Asking for help from your pals or loved ones when packing and transporting your belongings can save you time and money (two things that often cause a lot of moving stress). It’s also a great way to ensure you see people before you leave town. A “packing party” can even allow you to downsize as you ask your guests to help themselves to items you don’t plan to bring with you to your new home.
Focus on the Excitement of a New Home
While moving to a new house or apartment can be intimidating, it’s also extremely exciting. It’s an opportunity to make a mark on a new space. Whether it’s your new neighbors or furniture, look forward to the novelty of the experience.
Coping Mechanisms for Moving Stress
Stress before your move is one thing, but coping with moving stress during the process is another. Whether you’ve packed one box or one hundred, the following strategies can help keep you grounded.
Focus on the Positives
A positive outlook goes a long way toward reducing stress and anxiety. As much as you can, set up your new home to reflect your style and make it feel like home. Explore your new neighborhood to discover new places and meet new people. Embrace the chance to create new memories and connections. This positive, upbeat attitude can transform the experience into the adventure of a lifetime.
Make Time for Self-Care
Moving demands a lot of time and attention, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore your needs. Prioritize instances of self-care to manage stress and maintain your mental health. Take breaks to relax and recharge, do physical activities like yoga or walking, and try to get plenty of sleep.
Making time for self-care will help you stay grounded and resilient, making your move much more manageable.
Recognize That Perfection Isn’t Necessary
The thing about moving is that perfection isn’t attainable. You’ll always find something you could’ve done better or differently. And that’s okay! Accept that not everything will go according to plan. You’ll need to pivot somehow. Stay flexible and adjust when necessary.
Managing Stress After the Move
Stress won’t just go away after your move. You’ll still have to deal with unpacking, making your space feel like home, and other administrative tasks like formally changing your address. That doesn’t mean you can’t approach those jobs in a way that makes them less stressful.
Take a Systematic Approaching to Unpacking
Unpacking your belongings is really just like packing, but in reverse. A structured method significantly reduces the chance of feeling overwhelmed. Follow these steps for a smoother process:
- Prioritize essential rooms. Start with the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms to ensure you have functional spaces as soon as possible.
- Unpack one room at a time. Focus on finishing one room before you move on to the next. This maintains order.
- Organize items as you go. As you take items out of boxes, place them in their designated spots immediately to avoid clutter.
Allow Ample Time for Unpacking
Even though it may feel like you should, you do not have to unpack everything in a single day. Unpack your belongings gradually. Outside of essentials like kitchen stuff, bedding, and clothes, you can take your time. There’s no reason to shelve your entire book or movie collection as soon as you arrive. Give yourself grace and space to accomplish tasks over time.
Incorporate Personal Touches Early
One of the best ways to ensure your new house feels like home is to incorporate personal touches early. If you can paint rooms before moving in, do that. If you have the time in your schedule to hang photos or art, put ahead and them on the walls.
Embrace New Decoration Opportunities
Your move is an opportunity to introduce positive changes to your living space. You may arrange furniture in a way that’s different from your old home, or you could try new paint colors to jazz things up. The choices are almost limitless.
Professional Moving Services: Reducing Stress Through Expert Help
One way to make moving less stressful that we haven’t touched on yet is to use professional moving services to streamline the process. Professional movers can handle the heavy lifting (literally) of getting your items from one home to another. They can also take other tasks off your plate, like packing up bulky items or furniture.
If you have questions about how to make moving less stressful, we can help. Contact us for a moving quote today.
Conclusion: Embracing a Stress-Reduced Move
Moving is stressful. That’s not up for debate. But there are plenty of ways to reduce the stress of moving, from planning and self-care to staying upbeat throughout the process. If you’re planning a long-distance move in the future and are looking for a way to make it less stressful, consider the benefits of hiring a moving broker to connect you with professionals who will ease the load.
Our commitment to service helps you find licensed cross-country movers within our carrier network at fair, competitive prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it normal to be stressed during a move?
It’s absolutely normal to be stressed during a move! The changes and challenges of relocating can trigger stress. Acknowledging the stress as normal is a way to manage it and feel less isolated.
What is relocation stress syndrome?
Relocation stress syndrome — also called transfer trauma — includes symptoms like anxiety, confusion, and depression. It stems from the upheaval and necessary adjustments when moving to a new environment.
How long does it take to adjust to a move?
Adjusting to a move doesn’t have a concrete timeframe, but it typically takes several weeks to several months. It depends on your circumstances and support systems. Other factors, like your proximity to family, new job responsibilities, and community, can influence this adjustment period.
