How to Reduce Stress During A Move

How to Reduce Stress During A Move

The number one reason people feel stressed out when moving house is they refuse to accept that moving is stressful and the only way to deal with that stress is to face it. Although most of us know this, it is at a subconscious level. This is why you feel a sense of dread every time you think of packing and are tempted to postpone it until a more convenient time.

But the only thing that does is amplify your stress. That’s because the time you have for packing is now shorter; you must complete the same tasks within a narrower timeframe. In that situation, you will naturally feel more stress as moving day approaches. However, if you accept the fact that moving house is tough, you might just make it easier.

Telling yourself that moving house is hard but it is something you have to do will make moving easier. It will transform your mindset from looking for ways to avoid packing to looking for smart ways to make your packing easier. A positive mindset will let you approach your packing strategically and you can complete your important tasks well before moving day.

How do you do this in practice? Follow the guide by Rent Easy below to find out.

How to make your house move less stressful

1. Understand why moving is stressful

The main reason you find moving hard is because you are inundated with belongings and these things are often not properly organized. Most of us don’t know how much stuff we have acquired until we have to sort and pack them. One look at the piles in your home and you don’t know where to start.

2. Realize the key to your apprehension

The second reason for the stress you feel when you think of packing is attempting to do too much. You look at all your stuff and think of the time and energy it will take to pack everything. But, if you stop thinking of packing the whole house and focus on packing a single drawer, that stress will disappear.

3. Break your packing into small tasks

The first practical step to reducing the stress of a house move is to break up the huge task of preparing the entire home into small tasks. Looking at what you have to do from the perspective of smaller assignments makes it more manageable. Think in terms of baby steps and not giant leaps.

4. Give yourself a lot of time

Even if you break your packing into small tasks, you will still feel overwhelmed if you try to tackle too many things at once. To avoid this, you need to give yourself time. You should spread your packing across several weeks; three weeks is the minimum duration you should aim for.

5. Create a system to help you organize your packing

Where should you start packing from? Do you want to do it room by room or will you pack by categories – books, clothes, footwear, décor, etc? If you approach this methodically, it will be easier. But, if you let yourself be guided by whatever demands your attention, you will wear yourself out.

6. Create a schedule for packing the house

If you do not create a packing timetable, you will have nothing to make you accountable. But if you create a timetable and attach deadlines to each task, it will be easier to monitor your progress. You will have clear milestones that tell when you are on, ahead of or behind your schedule.

7. Purge your home as you pack

What you do when packing your belongings determines what you experience when unpacking in your new home. To make it easier, avoid taking the clutter from the current home to the new one. Sort your stuff as you pack, remove unnecessary things, and sell, throw, or give away everything you no longer need.

8. Inventory your stuff as you pack

The stress of a house move does not end with packing your home; it continues with unpacking in the new place. To make this easier, inventory your things as you pack them. Get a notebook and before you put an item into its box, note it under the right heading. This way you know where everything is and you can do this in reverse when unpacking to make sure nothing is missing.

9. Get enough sleep

As moving day draws closer, you may be tempted to stay up late to complete important tasks. Don’t do it; diminishing returns set in as your mind gets tired. You also increase the possibility of making mistakes. Instead of staying up late, go to bed early and start early the next day with a well-rested mind.

10. Don’t do it alone; ask for help

If you give your friends and relatives enough time and incentive, they will usually be happy to help you. Having others to help you makes the work easier and you will be able to finish in a shorter time. Apart from friends, little children can help, as long as you give them age-appropriate tasks.