Moving has been ranked as one of the most stressful life experiences, and understandably so. You have to pack away your whole life into boxes and then unpack them somewhere else. Then you have the details of finalizing the sale of your home, which may not always run smoothly. No matter the reason for the move, you probably have some anxiety over making such a big change, and relocating to a new area.
Unless you have developed a Buddha-like mind where you can handle stress and go with the flow with no problem, the whole process will certainly drive you a little nuts. Here are some tips to make everything run a bit more smoothly.
Be Prepared
Take a good look around your home and get an idea of what size boxes you will need and any other items that will be necessary. Then go out and get them right away. Nothing will add stress to a move more than constantly having to go out and get more supplies because you had no idea how much stuff you would really need.
Start Packing as Early as Possible
You look around your home and feel overwhelmed at the process of moving. When we experience this, we tend to do a funny thing, us humans. Instead of starting the job and chipping away at it a bit at a time, we do absolutely nothing. The stress builds and we make this same decision over and over again. If you do this with your move, you are piling unnecessary stress upon yourself. You will be rushing around at the last minute, which will lead to items being improperly packaged, mislabeled boxes and a host of other issues that will come back to bite you.
As soon as you have your moving day, start getting the house ready. Make a schedule that works for you. If you feel overwhelmed, decide to focus on one room at a time. Just doing a few things at a time will make more of an impact than you know.
Take This Opportunity to Simplify
Moving is a great opportunity to take stock of all your belongings and get rid of what is no longer necessary or useful. Since you are being forced to handle every single item in your home, take this opportunity to decide if you need to take it with you at all.
Trashing stuff is a much quicker process than packing it away, and you will simply be left with the items you really need or want to bring to your new home. Imagine moving into your new space free of the clutter of the old.
Order of Rooms
The order in which you pack up rooms can ease moving-related stress. Start with your garage or other storage areas. This is where a lot of the purging mentioned above will begin. Haven’t used it in a year? Has zero sentimental value? Trash it. Then move on to less frequently used rooms in the home. Save the most frequently used rooms for last since you will need whatever is in here the longest—like your bed or cooking utensils.
Think About What You Will Do in Your Next Home
Focusing on the positive aspects of the moving experience, getting a fresh start in a new home, will take the sting out of the unpleasantness of preparing for said move. Start planning what you will do with each of the rooms. What colors do you want? What themes? What new items do you need to buy? This enthusiasm can fuel your packing efforts.
