7 Ways to Reduce Stress During a Move
Moving to a new property can be a joyful moment. However, once you start planning, that joy will be overshadowed by the stress of moving. We have shared with you some useful ways to reduce stress during a move.
Finally, you have found your dream home. It is everything you ever wanted, and you are over the moon. However, the happiness and joy related to your new home will soon die down, once you start planning your move. Even when moving to your dream home, relocating is a stressful and dreadful process. Managing your stress during your move is very important. Thinking that you can eliminate your stress is a bit too optimistic. Still, you should aim to minimize it as much as possible. Here are some great ways to reduce stress while you are preparing for your big move.
It is time do declutter and downsize
You might be confused by this stress-reducing tip. After all, decluttering sure is stressful, but only in the beginning. Once you rip off that Band-Aid, you will feel much more relaxed and de-stressed. This is one of the very useful tips for your NY relocation. Your new NYC apartment is pretty spectacular, but also probably pretty small at the same time. You might be overwhelmed by the number of things that you have. Take a deep breath and think about it. What do you really need? What do you use on a frequent basis? Once you gather the strength to declutter, you will feel as if a weight has been lifted.
One of the ways to reduce stress is by truly focusing
Are you a juggler? Can you do many different things at once? If you can, that is awesome. However, this is not the time to show off those skills. Planning a move is a serious business and you need to be all in. There are many tasks that need to be done. Therefore, it is very easy to forget something or make the wrong move. This is why you need to make time specifically for this venture.
Ask for a few days off at work. Find and choose childcare for your little ones. Make sure your head is clear and focused only on the move and that there are no distractions. This way you will be more efficient, and you will feel less stressed because you will see that your move is going in the right direction.
Start gathering packing supplies
One of the ways to reduce stress when moving is to pack on time. Nonetheless, this cannot be done without appropriate packing supplies. Especially, if you are moving on short notice you must have packing materials ready for usage. As soon as you know you will be moving, start gathering boxes, newspaper, tissue paper and everything else that can serve this purpose. Some you can gather from friends and family. Even local stores and restaurants might be able to help you out with a few boxes. In the end, you might need to invest some money in your supplies. Once you have everything you need, it will be much easier to pack and protect your belongings.
Always have a moving strategy for every task
Doing a little here and a little there will not cut it when preparing for a move. Not only that it isn’t one of the ways to reduce stress, but it will only make the matter worse. Make a checklist of all the tasks that need to be done. This checklist will be a great guide for you. Also, have a strategy for every task that you do. No matter how big or small that task might be.
For example, one of your tasks is to clean your home before you move out. How will you accomplish that? Will you clean the entire property in one day? Maybe you decided to hire professional cleaners? On the other hand, maybe you want to clean one room at a time? Make sure to know how you will handle each part of your relocation.
Know where your valuables are at all times
During this move, you will box up your entire life. However, you shouldn’t treat all of your belongings the same. Your passports, important documents, expensive jewelry, and other valuables should be treated with extra care. Pack these items on your own and take them with you. Do not leave them in the hands of movers. Since you will know at all times where they are, you will not stress about their whereabouts.
Make sure everything is done on time
One of the best ways to reduce stress is to do your tasks in a timely manner. Being behind on your planning, packing, cleaning and whatever else, will bring your stress levels through the roof. One way to avoid this is to put deadlines next to your tasks when making your checklist. This way you will be more aware of not only what needs to be done, but also when it needs to be finished. If you notice you are falling behind, you can pick it up a notch and make up for the lost time. This way it will not be too late, and you will be on your moving track.
You don’t have to do it on your own
Organizing a big move would be a hassle and a difficult task even for those that have previous experience with moving. Surely, you do not have to do this on your own. Hire professional movers and let them take a huge load off your back. Not only will they do the physical work for you, but they will also handle situations that you cannot even anticipate. For instance, let’s say you are moving to Philadelphia. Your moving professionals can tell you what you need to know before moving to PA. Do you need parking permits for your moving vehicle? You might not have a clue, but your mover sure will. Let them think about it so you don’t have to.
In the end, it will be all worth it
Lean on our ways to reduce stress and you just might cruise through the entire process of your relocation. There will be times when you will be overwhelmed and anxious. When that happens, take a deep breath and stop whatever you were doing. This is a natural reaction to a big move. Once you have calmed down, continue with your plan. When you need some extra motivation, just think about how great it will feel once you have settled in your new home. It will be the extra fuel you need to push through your move.
Amanda James is a life coach that specializes in stress reduction and turning stress into positive thinking. She has helped countless people deal with their life problems and their stress levels. She is also a mother of two boys that attend Iona College. She does her best to spend every weekend with her sons and her husband John. Their favorite thing to do is to go into the city to watch the New York Knicks games.