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If you have moved to a new apartment before or you have helped somebody else tackle the task of moving, then you already know how demanding it can be. It can get to you in many ways you did not expect, including mentally and emotionally. You have to deal with a lot more than physical stress when moving. The anxiety and constant mood swings are as real as they get; one moment, you are excited about the prospect of moving to a new apartment, while the next moment you find yourself feeling down, depressed and simply overwhelmed by everything.

Moving to a new house is supposed to be a fun and enjoyable experience, but certain factors, including stress, can jeopardise this fun experience. Indeed, these stresses come naturally, but they can cause your move to go even more poorly than you can imagine. This is why you have to do all you can to overcome moving stress by being as well prepared as possible.  This article will help you.

What causes stress when moving house?

Stress generally refers to anything that burdens one physically, emotionally, or mentally. Unfortunately, there is no specific cause of moving stress. Instead, the stress faced during or before moving results from a series of minor discomforts that accumulates into significant tension. Here, we’ll take a look at some of the issues that contribute to moving stress.

Change can be scary

We know that change is more often good than bad. But if you observe some people that have moved in the past, you will notice that the idea of change is sometimes challenging. Especially considering that you will have to leave your old friends, colleagues, and even the environment you are already used to. The idea of the change alone can be scary and can generate anxiety.

Moving expenses

Whether you’re moving house or relocating your office, the expenses required to complete a move have also proven to be a significant concern for those looking to move. Calculating the amount of money you’ll need to spend tends to increase the anxiety that was already building.

Moving takes time

Another factor that tends to increase the anxiety around moving is the time factor. Moving requires a lot of time to complete, both the planning stage and the actual moving stage. But it comes as no surprise, considering how much of a task it is. However, some people often get scared away, while others automatically become stressed by the idea of how much time they will have to commit to moving.

Expert Tips to Help You Conquer the Stress and Anxiety of Moving

Moving is not an easy task, and the factors listed above can contribute to making the experience even less enjoyable. However, moving doesn’t have to be all bad. In fact, you can salvage your moving experience and make it as fun, smooth-sailing, and enjoyable as it can be without having to go overboard.

Do you know that you too can have a pleasant moving experience regardless of the factors in play? You need to know how to go about it the right way. Lucky for you, we have put together some expert tips to help you cope better with moving and how to get over the stress that comes with it.

1) Begin with little steps and start preparing early

  • The earlier you start to prepare for your move, the more time you will have to make sure everything goes well.
  • Avoid starting with big moves as you may easily get overwhelmed by them. Instead, you can start by gently decluttering and sorting your belongings and disposing of things that are no longer very useful.
  • Do not waste all your time shopping for your new house. You can buy only the necessary materials and leave the rest until after moving to the house.

2) Find out as much as you can about your new area

We have heard that knowledge is power, and that’s precisely how it is with moving. The more you know about your new house and the surrounding environment, the easier your move will be. Not only will the information get you better acquainted with your new area, but it will also help you find out the best time to move. Here is some information to research about.

Learn about commute times and discover the best moving route: create time to visit your new area and check out the routes and how their commutes work. Also, use the opportunity to find the best route to move in.

Research the local schools: if you have children, thoroughly researching all the local schools is essential. Find out the best school for your kids before you move. This can be done by checking the school reviews, articles and information about the school that you find online, along with a tour of the school itself.

Emergency centres: when moving into a new area, it’s important to locate the nearest hospitals and health facilities, such as doctors surgeries, dental clinics and so on. Nobody wants to be involved in an emergency, but it helps to have this information available to you, should the need ever arise.

Meet new people: try to meet your neighbors and build a relationship with them. It will help you get comfortable and settle in a lot quicker.

3) Set aside enough time for your move

Not knowing how to go about your move, already sets you up for stress and anxiety. One mistake that amateur movers (DIY) make, is rushing the process and attempting to get everything done in a few days. Although it is possible to fit everything into one weekend, the stress involved will only multiply if you try to.

We have learned from experts and other movers that it is best to set out at least a whole week for your move and try to eat healthily and rest well within this period to make sure you stay energized and well-rested.

Spreading your move across several days and moving at your own pace will help to eliminate moving stress. You will also have time to meditate and make further plans after each day.

4) Keep your essentials separate from the other items

Packing up to leave your old house for a new one can get messy real quickly, and you may start to misplace items. To avoid the hassle and headache of packing, consider professional pre-packing and unpacking services.

Looking for an essential and not finding it when you need it can be very frustrating and add to your stress mentally. But keeping them together where you can easily reach them eases your mood. Here are some examples of the essentials to pack.

Documents: Your identification cards, driver’s license, certificates, credit cards, medical records, and property ownership papers are all examples of essential documents to keep safe.

Clothes and toiletries: Make sure you keep enough spare clothes on hand, so you don’t have to scatter already arranged boxes. Toiletries like soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo, and creams should also be kept on hand.

Other essentials to keep aside include everyday gadgets such as your phones, laptop, and chargers, along with any medication you may require within the period.

5) Stay calm and keep only positive thoughts

It only takes one wrong step for your move to go from good to worst, and the anxiety can get to anyone regardless of whether it’s your first time or not. Therefore, you are always advised to keep a cool head throughout the moving process.

Keeping only positive thoughts can also go a long way to help you escape mental stress. You can take a walk or practice breath control whenever you feel any symptom of fear or anxiety creeping in. Other mental exercises you can try include:

  • Hang out with friends and family to help cheer you up
  • Try not to discredit yourself even if you make a mistake, and do your best to keep negative thoughts away.
  • Listen to your favourite music, read good books, and play your favourite games in your spare time

6) Get as much help as you can

Another mistake that people tend to make when moving, is attempting to do everything by themselves. Unless you have prior experience, or at the very least, access to a bunch of mates to help you out, then moving on your own will almost always backfire. People doing a DIY move, find themselves completely overwhelmed, more often than not.

Sometimes, your loved ones are your best help. But other times, you may need to hire the service of professional furniture movers to help, especially with the heavy lifting. Hiring a moving company may seem too expensive at first, but it is worth it, considering the peace of mind it affords you.

7) Create a checklist

As far as checklists go, a moving checklist is way too critical to ignore. It will help you stay focused on the essentials while also ensuring that you do not forget or skip any activity. A moving checklist is often divided into two sections. The first section consists of what you want to get done in the six weeks before your move. While the other section contains the activities, you can carry out two weeks before your move. Here are ideas to fit in on your checklist.

Six weeks checklist

  • Set a moving date
  • Notify your house owner
  • Get an appointment with a moving company
  • Buy necessary supplies
  • Start to sort put your properties

Two weeks checklist

  • Start packing items in labelled boxes
  • Notify your neighbours and colleagues about your move
  • Get the keys to your new house
  • Update your new address on your profiles

If you’re relocating your business, be sure to view our post on creating the ultimate office relocation checklist.

8) Say farewell to those in your existing location

This part can be difficult sometimes, and it is where most people tend to get emotional. However, it is only proper to say goodbye to your friends, neighbours, and colleagues that you will leave behind, especially if you are moving to a distant place. Most people go ahead to host a farewell party where they can get to say their goodbyes all at once. But you can break it down if you can not host a farewell party. Here are some tips to help you.

  • Pay visits to close friends and families
  • Take a tour around your community and visit tourist attractions
  • Visit your favourite hot spots like restaurants, bookshops, and other familiar destinations
  • Take pictures of people and places to help you keep memories alive.

Bottom Line

The stress and anxiety that accompany the idea of moving to a new house are as real as they get. These unwanted feelings can quickly get to you and overwhelm you if you do not know how to go about the entire moving process.

However, the tips and advice highlighted in this article can help you overcome moving stress and make the experience far less difficult to deal with.

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Laila Om
Laila Om
2022-11-18
I was deeply impressed by Pat's thorough & kind communication style when I made some inquiries. I had never experienced such friendly & informative responses from any other removalist companies I contacted before. On the day, Pat's guys arrived right on time. Te & the team did an amazing job for me. They were all very courteous and brilliantly fast & smart. I have hired many removalists before and experienced them stretching out time, damaging my furniture, and stopping work & smoking cigarettes for ages when I wasn't on-site. Pat's guys Te & the team worked incredibly hard and got the job done very well in half the time other companies' guys would have. I can highly recommend Richards Removals. Richards would tremendously reduce the enormous stress & hassle of your relocating. Pat, Te & the team, thank you very much!!
Justice Corban
Justice Corban
2022-10-12
Highly recommend Richard's Removals, I have now used them 3 times and very happy with the service! Very reliable, the guys are very hard working and helpful! I highly recommend them, I wouldn’t go anywhere else!
Andrew Rodda
Andrew Rodda
2022-09-02
Rang twice and only got recorded messages. Never called back, so missed my business. Luck of the draw.
Luke Oglethorpe
Luke Oglethorpe
2022-01-28
Highly recommend these guys! Not only did they fit in a move within a very short time frame, they were very professional, had a can-do attitude and were good communicators.
Chris A
Chris A
2021-12-23
Pat, Ash and Jake put in absolute work today, very very hot day on the Gold Coast, the heat did not stop them at all. They Kept going all day, nothing was too much for these guys. I would highly recommend, they went above and beyond and I thank the team sincerely. Thanks, Chris & Julie
Michelle C
Michelle C
2021-11-23
Ash and Edi were great, very professional, polite, fast and efficient
Susan Simpson
Susan Simpson
2021-11-01
I would highly recommend using Richards, they moved me from my home into a storage unit. The two young men completed the move without an issue and in very efficient time. Ash and Jake were very personable and polite. I am using Richards again to move from the storage unit to the new house and have requested these two young gentlemen do the move. I was asked by a neighbour could I recommend someone for their move in January so I of course said Richards.
Jessica Papworth
Jessica Papworth
2021-10-22
Pat is really responsive kept me up to date. Boys did an awesome job ash and Justin poor fellas has four storey walk up with very heavy wooden furniture and didn't bat an eye lid. Defienetly use these guys for you next more can't recommend enough.
James Bugden
James Bugden
2021-09-06
Huge thank you to the team at Richards Gold Coast Removals for the incredible service we were provided today. The guys were wonderful!