From Removals to Revelations: Tips to Deal with Moving Stress

For many of us, moving to a new home is an exciting prospect: whether you’re just moving down the road to a new suburb or a completely different state; relocating offers a new opportunity to explore an unfamiliar place and start fresh.

However, just like anything else in life, things can go wrong which is why for many people, mixed in with the excitement of moving comes the fear of the unknown and a risk of stress and anxiety when things don’t go according to plan.

In this article, we will explore practical tips to navigate through the moving process while keeping your anxiety and the stress of moving house to a minimum.

Understanding Moving Stress

Unhappy young couple sitting beside moving boxes on white backgr

For many of us, moving can be a highly emotional experience. With so many moving parts during the experience, it’s no wonder why we start to feel stressed out. From the anticipation of change to dealing with logistical challenges, understanding some of these stresses will help you manage them more effectively.

Here are some of the main reasons why we find moving stressful:

The Fear Of Change And The Uncertainty Involved

Moving is well known to disrupt our normal routines and our comfort zones, throwing us into a state of uncertainty and upheaval. Thoughts may creep into our minds about adjusting to the new environment we are moving to, finding work, losing support services in your current local community, making new friends and even finding our way around a new area whilst leaving a familiar place and the people you know behind for pastures new.

With feelings like this, it’s no wonder why this can trigger anxiety and stress as we grapple with an uncertain future.

The Financial Strains Of Moving

Moving can be an expensive endeavour, especially if you are moving long-distance or interstate. People have to grapple with elements such as organising transportation, having to rent trucks, hiring removalists as well as paying for potential deposits and other fees associated with a relocation.

These types of financial pressures can add to the overall stress of the moving process, especially if you are already starting out on a small budget.

Dealing With The Logistic Side

Change of Address ChecklistWhen moving, there are many things to consider such as packing up all of your belongings and coordinating transportation as well as arranging utilities and other elements in your new home. With this comes the feeling of endless deadlines, time pressures, lots of decisions to make and details to manage.

For this very reason, we decided to build a couple of free downloadable checklists which can help people get organised and reduce their stress levels:

If you have kids or pets you need to manage them efficiently too. Both children and animals have a tendency of getting overly excited, so you will need to deal with them delicately.

For more helpful information, you can read our guide on how to move with pets and tips on how to move with children here.

All these elements can result in the feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed as well as bring out mental burnout.

Dealing With The Emotional Rollercoaster Side

As you start the moving process, it’s normal to feel emotional as you say goodbye to loved ones, familiar places and memories which may hold lots of nostalgia for you.

Combining this with the experience of excitement and anticipation for new things to come, makes a blend of emotions that some people may have difficulty coping with.

The Impacts Of Stress

Stress of MovingStress is a natural part of our lives. It’s the body’s way of responding to challenging or threatening situations.

In very small doses, stress can sometimes be helpful, giving us the energy to deal with a difficult situation. When there is too much stress involved however, it can cause negative repercussions and take its toll on physical and mental health.

Unfortunately for us, stress is no stranger in people when it comes to moving houses and is commonly associated with it.

Some of the signs of dealing with too much stress or relocation depression involve the following:

If you find you are experiencing an overwhelming amount of any of the symptoms listed above, your move is likely starting to overwhelm you.

The worst thing you can do in this situation is to procrastinate or delay things, as it can only make things worse in the long run.

Try taking a positive approach to the task at hand by addressing your concerns early on by speaking to somebody or getting help with your relocation.

How To Better Manage Stress Levels When Moving

African woman trying to relaxPreparing for the Move

While this may seem like an obvious thing to say, prevention is the best cure. You would be amazed how many people we see packing and organising things at the last minute.

Through proper preparation, you can help minimise stress levels to an acceptable level and improve the odds of a smooth transition from your old home to your new one.

Start by using a moving checklist to get things organised. One of the key strategies to minimise stress is thorough preparation. The earlier you start planning, the less rushed and chaotic the move will be. Give yourself plenty of time to declutter, pack, and make arrangements.

Having the Right Attitude

A Young Woman Wearing Headphones DancingTo complete a successful move, we recommend approaching your move with the right frame of mind. This could make all the difference between a smooth transition and a poor one, as well as creating a positive experience all around. In order to cultivate a positive mindset, try some of the following:

Tackle Administrative Tasks Head-On

paying-billsAs someone famously once said, ‘an idle mind is the devil’s workshop‘. In other words, if you have lots of administrative tasks that need to be taken care of before your move, don’t leave them there idly sitting by – you are going to want to handle these sooner rather than later.

This can include multiple tasks such as:

For more information on what you might need to take care of, use our change of address checklist specially built to tackle these kinds of tasks.

The Art Of Packing Strategically

packing shoes for movingStaying fully organised is paramount to the success of your relocation as well as minimising stress levels; this includes the packing element.

When it comes to pre-packing your items, it’s best to do this early and systematically. While the temptation of leaving your packing until the final days of your move is tempting, this is a common trap that many people fall for.

By starting early, you help to reduce stress levels by leaving yourself more time for other tasks that may take longer. It also helps you transform a move that may have started chaotically into a much better and well-coordinated endeavour.

Some top tips on your packing include:

If you find that you have too much to pack, then you can always consider using our professional packers and movers in Sydney to help get the job done for you.

The Importance Of Self Care

stress free meditatingWe have already briefly touched upon this earlier, but looking after yourself is vital to the success of your health and well-being.

When dealing with the chaos of preparing for a move, you’re going to find that your normal routine will be out of sync. This means that common times spent relaxing and catching up with friends may now be consumed by preparing for your inevitable exit.

We can’t recommend enough the importance of taking regular breaks and getting sufficient rest. When on the job, try taking a break every hour or so.

Knowing When To Call For Extra Help

Zoom removals team CampbelltownSometimes for some of us, pride can get the better of us and we think we can deal with things on our own. If however, you find that you are falling behind schedule or that you have way too many things to deal with then maybe it’s time to enlist the help of family or friends to assist.

Option B would be to consider hiring professional movers to do the job for you. With us for example, we can expertly take the stress out of relocating and not the joy. Our highly trained team tackles moves daily all over Sydney with procession and care.

We offer some moving services that may be of interest to you which include:

You can also call us any time at 0246072460.

Dealing with Unexpected Challenges

Rd closedAs with anything in life, unexpected things can go wrong. It’s important to remember that we are only human and even the most seasoned movers (and professionals like us) can face curveballs which may cause unexpected delays and disruptions to carefully laid plans.

If you find that moving house stress is starting to kick in, then some of these tips will help you navigate through them with a clearer mind:

Conclusion

It’s no secret that moving is a big job and dealing with stress is a normality in this situation.

By adopting the tips and strategies laid out above, not only will you be able to better manage stress levels more effectively, but also turn the whole experience into a positive one.



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