Regardless of where you may be moving to, going through the process of relocating isn’t easy. It comes with its own level of stress. While the process of moving house comes with its fair share of challenges, you needn’t let it get the best of you.
5 Moving Tips to Reduce Stress
Wondering how to move without going crazy with stress? Keep reading for moving day best practices.
1. Stay Calm
Handling moving day stress starts the moment you realize you need to move. While panicking may seem like a good idea, staying calm will allow you to get your thoughts in order and eliminate any stress before it has a chance to take hold. Regardless of how much time you have, how much work you have to do, and how much it will cost you, resist giving in to the urge to panic. Though it may take a lot of work to prepare for your move, everything will ultimately work out.
2. Create Your Moving Calendar
Your next step in your moving process is to create a moving calendar. Staying on track with a schedule will help to keep you stress-free on the days leading up to your move. Start with a to-do list that compiles everything you need to accomplish your move. Then, write down important dates and deadlines on your calendar to ensure that you are moving forward as planned with your preparations.
Keep updating your calendar to stay on track. Give yourself plenty of time in between your various deadlines to ensure that you are able to get all your tasks completed well in advance of the moving day. If your not sure how you should break up your time, look for resources online that help explain what steps should be done at that time. For example, this senior moving checklist by Suddath has all the steps you need to complete labeled by the timeframe (3 months out to moving day).
3. Downsize and Declutter
Excessive clutter is definitely a stress inducer. Reduce your stress by decluttering and downsizing. Take a look at all your furniture, electronics, appliances, clothes, and the like to see what you want to take with you and what is better left behind. As you sift through things you no longer need, determine what you can sell, donate, or throw away.
This purging is essentially a therapeutic process that allows you to pare down and prepare for your move. As you lighten your load, you’ll find that you can breathe more easily with less stuff left to pack.
4. Pack in a Timely Manner
There’s no set time that you should allow yourself for packing. As this part of the process often takes the longest, it’s best to give yourself more than enough time to have everything ready. Make sure you are making progress on your packing by taking a few hours each day to go through each room and box your belongings. As you do this, ensure you are accurately labeling everything to make it easier to unpack when you do get to your new location.
When you arrive at your new home, all the clearly labeled boxes will make your stress melt away. You’ll know exactly where everything goes and will be able to put everything away in a timely manner.
5. Ask for Help
The majority of moving-related stress comes from the overwhelming feeling that you can’t do it all. The truth is that moving on one’s own is incredibly difficult. Though it is possible to handle it by yourself, it’s best to accept help wherever you can find it. From friends and family to professional movers, asking for help with your move is one guaranteed way to eliminate stress from your moving prep.
