First time moving out of your parents' house? Moving in with you partner? Moving to a new location because of a job? Or maybe even just because of a nosy neighbor? Whatever the reason is, moving can be quite stressful, specially if it's your first.
A lot of articles in the web will tell you how your move can become stress-free. Unfortunately, any move will have stress attached to it - the emotional stress of leaving something that you've gotten used to, the anxiety brought about by being the new guy or the face that you may be leaving your comfort zone for something that is still uncertain. There are some positive stress as well that may be encountered such as the excitement of experiencing new things or meeting new friends. It could also be the heart pounding fact that you, maybe finally, chasing your dreams. Whatever the kind of stress may be, the goal is to minimize the negative and focus on the positive. This way, you can make your move both easier and memorable.
HOW TO LESSEN THE NEGATIVE
1 - Acceptance
Difficulty is something that is perceptive. What is difficult for you may be easy for me and vice versa. But no matter what type of or degree of difficulty you may be experiencing, the key to any difficult situation is acceptance. Same is true when moving. The earlier you accept the fact that you are moving to a new place, will leave your friends or family behind to focus on yourself the better it will be for you when the time of the move comes. Acceptance is the bridge that will allow you to start doing the things that you need to do before the move like hanging out with old buddies in your favorite spot that you have not done in years, watching a movie with your mom and pretend to cry to the things that makes her eyes wet, build that porch with your dad that you have been putting off for a long time or take your dog for a really long walk just like when you were a kid. Whatever it is that you need to do, after accepting the fact that D-Day is coming, you will be bale begin to do the things that you need to do so that you won't have any regrets. Acceptance is the beginning of the process.
2 - Organize Early
Have you ever heard of situations where in people move to a new location, and when they get there and start unpacking, they realize that they have left something. This is not a problem when you're just moving down the block, but what if you're relocating to a different country? Early organization is something that will help you get all of your affairs in order - including all of your belongings. Prepare early but be organized, That way, if there are things that you have already packed that you suddenly need, it won't take you ages to find it. Label your boxes, keep similar things together - whether by room or type. Whatever your organizational process is, do it early. Cramming in moving isn't healthy. You will bring about a whole lot of stress when you try to squeeze into a single day the things that you need to do for a week. Organize early so you don't miss out on any of the things that you need to bring with you on your move. Create a checklist for yourself or you can download one online. Once you have your physical stuff set, you'll have time to sort through the other important matters in your life before your move. Organizing early allows you to dot all the i's and cross all the t's in your life before your move.
3 - Reduce Clutter
In this process, Marie Kondo can really help you out. Since you're organizing early, you have time to go through all of your things instead of just shoving everything in boxes. Leave the things that you don't need. As the Fab 5 says, if you haven't used them in 2 years (I'm approximating) then you'll probably never use it again. Simplify your life by letting go of some of the things that you're not using. You can help others out by donating your old clothes or shoes to someone who might need it more. By reducing your clutters, you're creating more space in your life for new things to enter.
4 - Positive Mindset
Positive thinking makes a big difference in everything. It is said that what the mind can conceive, the body can achieve. It has also been scientifically proven the a positive mindset helps a tom when it comes to stress management. This applies to all aspects of life - including moving. Keeping a positive mindset through this phase in your life will definitely make the experience a lot less stressful. Knowing and accepting the fact that a move may be stressful will prepare you for anything that may happen during the move and keeping a positive mindset will allow you to see everything else that is beautiful around the stress.
Having support from family and friends is as equally important as well. They can help you see what you miss when you're stressed out and you will also have a shoulder to lean on when the stress level rises.
