Do Not Bury Your Head in the Boxes! How To Move Home Confidently and Calmly

*This is a collaborative post.

Moving to a new home is the start of a whole new chapter of life, but you also need to be prepared and organised to make sure that the process goes smoothly. Moving home is something that is going to cause a lot of pressure, and this is why you need to know how to actively combat stress. As okay as it is to feel stressed when you’re moving home, if you let the stress get the better of you, it can make everything far more difficult. What does it really take to ensure that you are moving home without the stress getting the better of you?

Helping Hands

The first and perhaps most obvious way to ensure that you are staying calm during the moving process is to ask for help. If you are feeling stressed or anxious, perhaps because of the sheer volume of things you need to do, asking for help is going to make the process easier and naturally, less stressful. For people moving out of a rental property, companies like End of Tenancy Cleaning Pro can help clean the place from top to bottom, which can make the process less stressful. So many people do a quick cleaning job at the end of the moving process because they just want to bid goodbye to the property, but this can mean that landlords who are looking to keep their bond at all costs will really start to nitpick. 

Help can also be in the form of emotional support. Sharing your concerns with someone who’s been there before will make a big difference. Or if you’re moving with somebody, make sure that you are able to support each other. If you are moving by yourself, the best thing you can do is to have as many family and friends to help so you can speed up the process and feel less alone as a result.

Getting Sleep

The night before a move means you are constantly running through lists in your mind, meaning that you are going to feel like you are running on empty around the midpoint of moving day. It can be very difficult to get quality sleep the night before a move, especially if you are thinking that the bed needs to be dismantled as soon as you wake up and there are boxes all around you. 

One of the best things you can do is to make a list of everything that needs doing, but also estimate how much time each task will take. That way, you have more control and knowledge of the situation so therefore you don’t feel the stress as much. And if you have a list to hand, you can fall asleep more relaxed in the notion that you won’t forget anything. If you have trouble going to sleep because of the number of things you need to do, just get to bed at an earlier time so you can eventually drift off at (hopefully) your normal time. 

Of course, you should think about keeping devices away, but this is easier said than done, so a blue light filter for your phone, such as Twilight can help get you in slumber mode.

Visualising the Move

Visualisation is a fantastic technique that can help people to remain calm in stressful circumstances. When you imagine yourself being calm, this has a positive effect on the brain. The brain cannot tell the difference between what is real and imagined, so you can start to trick your brain into thinking it is calm. You can also use visualisation as a way to ensure that your moving day goes smoothly. 

Visualise each piece of the puzzle according to the plans you’ve laid out, while also ensuring that you are conducting good breathing techniques. Breathing techniques such as box breathing can help you to relax and also if you are feeling physically tense, focus on making the exhales longer than your inhales, as this will tap into the parasympathetic nervous system, which will help you to calm down and reduce your heart rate.

Listening to Music 

If you are someone that is prone to stress and anxiety at the best of times, music during the moving process can change the atmosphere. Some people can benefit from having upbeat music on in the background, but others may just benefit from some tranquil music. We have to remember that music has a great effect on how we feel, so think about what will work for you so you can have a more comfortable and relaxing move. 

Stress is one of those things that can permeate every part of our being, so even a small respite of listening to one of your favourite songs can do a lot to help you unwind, meaning you are more prepared to tackle the next task.

One Thing at a Time

We can try to focus on the bigger picture, but moving comes many different moving parts. When we are moving, the goal is to get everything unpacked so the new place is ready to live in, but it can be overwhelming to get it all done in one day. Instead, you need to reframe it so you can focus on the smaller tasks along the way, rather than the final result. 

Because ultimately, the furniture is the priority so if you can put that together on moving day starting with the bed, this will give you a place to sleep but putting items in storage to keep your possessions protected means you can compartmentalize the process easier, so you can decorate the home and get the bigger components sorted.

While moving is one of the most stressful things we can undergo, it doesn’t have to be completely anxiety-inducing. There can be a lot of uncertainty throughout the process, but this is why you need to get to grips with some of these approaches so you can move home calmly and you can start life in your new home with a far happier outlook.