How to Make Moving Feel Less Stressful

Moving is always described as one of the most stressful things you can experience in your life. Moving creates stress in terms of logistics and planning. It’s also stressful emotionally and mentally. You may be leaving things behind, saying goodbye to certain memories, and feeling like you’re facing a bit of uncertainty as far as what the future could hold. 

While it might be impossible to entirely take the stress out of moving, there are things you can do to lower it, at least somewhat. 

Plan and Get Organized

Before you take any specific steps, create a master plan for your move. You want to write this all down. 

Create a list of what you need to do and how you’re going to do it. You might also want to add a rough timeline by which each task should be finished to keep things on track. 

Start this several months before your move if you can, but at least a couple of weeks. 

Keep your list somewhere handy so that if you think of something you forgot, you can add it quickly. 

Moving is complex, and there are a lot of steps, so you want to stay on track with your schedule and timeline, but of course, you can’t do that if you have neither of these. 

When you’re creating your plan, you have to remember that moving isn’t just packing up your house. There are a lot of other things that are part of the process, like organizing donation pick-ups, disconnecting and reconnecting utilities, and dropping off your cable box. 

Gather Your Moving Supplies

If you can go ahead and get the supplies you’ll need to pack, then you’ll be prepared when the time actually comes. It can take a little while to locate boxes if you aren’t going to pay for them, so get started on that as soon as you can. 

You’ll also need things like packing tape and paper to wrap breakables. 

Decide If You’ll Hire Movers

If you’re moving from a small apartment, you might not need movers. We recommend Watford Moving if you need moving services in the Santa Clarita area. It’s by far the best moving company we have used. A larger house, on the other hand, is going to feel a lot more manageable if you hire movers. 

Yes, movers do add to your costs, but you might find that it’s well worth it. 

Movers can be full-service, meaning they’ll come in, pack everything up, transport it to your new home, and then unpack it. This is the most expensive service you’re going to pay for. 

You could, on the other hand, just hire a moving company to transport the larger items that you can’t get on your own. It all depends on your budget and how much of the work you’re willing to do yourself. 

Purge

Before you start packing, go through your home and get rid of anything you don’t use or no longer need. You can create stacks for items you’re going to keep and pack, what you’re going to throw away and what you’re going to sell and donate. 

Moving is the best time to do a deep clean of all those unneeded items that are cluttering your current home. 

Pack One Room at a Time

When you start the process of actually packing, do it one room at a time. You can start a few weeks out with a room that doesn’t get much use, like a guestroom. When you focus on one room at a time, it cuts your mental stress. You can start to achieve smaller goals, and you’ll feel more accomplished. 

Another tip with packing is that you should start as soon as you can – don’t procrastinate. Most people find that moving takes them longer than they anticipated, and waiting until the last minute is only going to stress you out more. 

When you pack, label each box with the room, it goes into. 

The more specific you are when labeling your boxes, the less stress when it’s time to unpack. You can also add a sheet of paper to each box with details of what’s in it. 

Take Some Time for Self-Care

Along with asking for help when you need it, taking care of yourself in the process of a move is one of the most important things you can do to reduce stress. Everyone, no matter how much they plan, is likely to encounter some stress and anxiety as they move, especially if they’re moving to a new town or city. 

Remember to take time out for yourself, even if it’s just a few minutes here and there. 

Article by Born Realist