Pack A Special Box For Moving Day
It’s a classic stressful moment: Arriving in a new house with no idea where to find the phone charger, shampoo or your wallet.
Ms Smith recommends setting aside a special box filled with all the necessities you’ll require immediately after your move and travelling with those items separately, rather than lumping them into the moving van.
If you have kids, you might also want to pack some snacks and comfort items to help smooth the process.
It’s a trick Ms Smith used when she moved earlier this year.
“I set aside a box for each of the kids that had their favourite toy, their special blankets and so on, so they weren’t fretting over the process of the move,” she explains.
“It can be a big change for little people too.”
What Can You Do To Manage Moving Stress
Even if all of this sounded too depressing, dont lose your hope because nothings lost. We just wanted to show you bluntly what you can expect. Nervousness is a normal part of the relocation, and theres nothing to be afraid of if things are done correctly.
A great deal of stress can be avoided and well handled if you listen to expert advice and tips. There are many moving tips and moving hacks that will take a lot of pressure off of your shoulders. Here are some of ours:
- Start on time As soon as you have the date for your move, start doing small preparations.
- Be organized keep a list of tasks that need to be done and try to plan it chronologically.
- Make a moving to-do list know what needs to be done before, during, and after the move.
- Figure out what relocation services you might need if the place youre coming to isnt ready, find an appropriate storage unit, decide if you want moving insurance, and see if you wish to get auto shipping as well or you want to drive to your new home.
- Create a budget find out what your expenses are, get a calculator, and be sure that you have enough money for everything.
- Have a positive approach dont think of relocation as of something awful tens of thousands of people move to a new home each year, many people move more than once in their life, and theres nothing scary about it. It just requires you to be thorough and dedicated.
Adopt The Right Attitude
Excessive stress can make us pessimistic, causing us to lose focus on the task at hand and bog ourselves down in more stress. When youre moving, try to adopt a can-do attitude to help you through the tough parts. Focus on the positives, like meeting new people, exploring a new area, and finding fun activities to do in your new place. Even if its just one little thing, like being close to an interesting restaurant, keeping that positivity in your mind can help you to mitigate your stress.
Try to remember that the move itself is only temporary. You only have to move all of your things once and you can settle into your new location. There was probably a time when your current home was new to you, so remind yourself that youve been through this before and you can get through it again.
Also Check: Does Stress Cause Neck Pain
Why Is Moving So Stressful In The First Place
From the cozy spot by the fireplace to your favorite window that lets in tons of sunlight, youve built attachments to your home. Leaving the things you know and love behind can be painful and challenging. So, what can you do to make this process easier and more exciting?
Its important to realize youre not alone. On a survey by E. ON, a British energy company, 60 percent of people chose moving as the most stressful life event. The first step toward handling the stress while moving is knowing its normal!
Ways To Cope With Moving Stress

Moving is considered one of the most stressful events we go through in our lives â and for good reason: youâre uprooting your life, saying goodbye to friends, and starting over in an unfamiliar place. It can be a challenge to know how to cope with the stress of moving to a new home.
We move a lot of people here at You Move Me and our number one goal is always the same: to make moving almost fun! But you can also take some steps of your own to turn this stressful experience into a positive one. Here are some tips to reduce moving stress and get grounded in your new community.
Recommended Reading: How To Ease Anxiety And Stress
What Can You Do To Stay Calm On The Day Of Your Move
Now that youve successfully prepared, keep the momentum going with a positive mindset. You cant stop the surprise difficulties from popping up on moving day, but you can choose how you handle them. Stay calm and on top of your game by remembering the following:
- You cant control everything. Not everything will go exactly as planned and thats okay. Dont beat yourself up when problems arise. Instead, remind yourself what youre capable of. Youve already made it this far and youre almost to the finish line!
- Take time for yourself. In the midst of the chaos, remember to take time for yourself. Its okay to sit down for a cup of coffee or a fifteen-minute breather.
Dont let the stress of moving wear you down. With the right techniques, preparation, and attitude, you can shake the tension. Of course, another way to make moving easier on you and your family is by hiring a professional moving company. The team of experts at Bekins can help simplify every step of your next movegive Bekins a call today!
There Are So Many Small But Unavoidable Tasks
One of the main reasons why people find relocation tense is because it can easily happen that you forget something important. When moving out, you need to take care of a ton of paperwork and complete an array of tasks like transferring your medical records, figuring out a budget, and making a series of decisions.
Don’t Miss: Can I Sue My Mortgage Company For Stress
Take Care Of Yourself
Its easy to forget to squeeze self-care into your busy schedule when moving. So heres your friendly reminder that regular sleep, meals, and exercise will go a long way in helping you reduce moving stress.
Youre more prone to becoming upset when youre tired and hungry, so make sure you take the time to slow down for a minute, breathe, and enjoy a little break!
Why Is Moving So Stressful And What Can You Do To Fix The Problem
America is a nation on the move. In 2019, for instance, about 31 million people moved to new neighborhoods, cities, states, or even countries. The COVID-19 pandemic might have put a brake on this moving phenomenon, but as restrictions ease across the country, you can bet people are starting to pack their bags.
Moving, whether for adventure, work, school, or other reasons has one certainty: its stressful. In fact, moving is ranked alongside divorce and job loss as the most stressful events.
Just why is moving so stressful? Why does it give many people endless headaches?
Before you start packing those moving boxes and bags, read this guide to learn why moving is a pain, as well as what you can do to make it stress-free.
Recommended Reading: How Do You Treat Stress Incontinence
Why Moving Is So Stressful
Moving is listed as one of the top stressors that a person can experience in a lifetimeright along with divorce, loss of a job, or loss of a loved one. Any of us that have moved before have probably heard this.
But, exactly, why is moving so stressful? Well, yes, theres the scheduling, the packing, the expenses, the general disruption. But theres also something more profound going on.
While moving is stressful, it can also be an exciting adventure. So how do we minimize stress and maximize the good? Generally speaking, there are three things we think you can focus on to help:
With over 100,000 happy customers, weve relieved a lot of moving stress over the years. Get a free, online estimate by answering just a few simple questions.
Pack A Bag Of Essentials
With everything else you need to think of, its highly likely youll misplace important items like toiletries in the first few days of arriving. Packing a clearly labelled bag of essentials and setting it aside will help to tackle moving stress.
Things to keep handy for the first few days include:
- Medication
- Toys for children or even pets
- Anything that you use daily
Also Check: How Do You Reduce Stress
Enjoy Your Stress Free Move
Whatever your circumstances may be, moving to a new house can be stressful if you don’t prepare well enough. Use our tips as a checklist to make sure you have everything planned for your move – more importantly, use this to help reduce any moving house stress.
When you’re ready to move, make sure you fill out our quick and simple form to connect you with up to 6 house removal partners to choose from.
Packing Up Can Be Costly Too

How much does it cost the typical American to move? On average, $1,500 plus an extra $211 to cover inevitable, unexpected extra costs.
Of course, no move would be complete without at least one cherished item accidentally breaking. On average, four items will be lost or broken during a move. Interestingly, 35% of Americans admit that theyve broken an item that belonged to their partner on purpose during a move just because they didnt like it!
So, if moving is so awful, why do people still pack up and uproot their lives? Many did so for a new job, while others had to for a job relocation. Another 13% say they were motivated to move so they would be closer to their family.
The survey was conducted by OnePoll.
Recommended Reading: How To Manage Stress During Pregnancy
Try To Be As Organized As You Can To Reduce The Stress
Getting organized to move will help you a lot if you feel anxious about the logistical aspects of the move. Dealing with all the details in time, booking a move at least three weeks ahead, and planning the relocation to bits will help you feel more relaxed about the whole move itself. Declutter your current apartment and see what you are relocating, estimate the value of your household goods, go through your home and donate the stuff you dont use. That should make you feel better, and youll have a better idea of what you are taking with you and how much the move will cost.
Try To Maintain Contact With The Ones You Love
Everything in life is much easier with the support and love from the people that surround us. Moving away from friends and family is sad, but you dont have to lose contact with them. They can visit you, or you can come back to your old place. After all, we live in a world of technology, so you can have video calls and see each other at least for a bit before you meet in person.
Also Check: Can You Die From Anxiety And Stress
Unpack Quickly To Settle Into Your New Life With Ease
When you arrive at your new home, itâll be a mess of boxes, furniture, and emotions. It will take time to reorganize and get comfortable in an unfamiliar place, but donât put off unpacking! Moving is stressful because itâs disruptive to your regular routine. The sooner you unpack and get settled â in your new home, job, and community â the sooner youâll feel grounded and ready to start your next chapter.
Risk Of Damaged Belongings
If you, for example, have to move a grandfathers clock that has been in your family for generations, you might be worried about it being damaged during transportation. Besides this, you could also be scared that your other belongings might be damaged while theyre being transported, which is, of course, something that could end up causing stress. This is also one of the main reasons why you might want to choose to work with a professional moving company.
Also Check: Why Am I Feeling Stressed
How To Help Your Child Cope With Moving Anxiety
If your move is stressful on you, its probably even more stressful for your children, especially if they are school-aged. They may lose many of their friends and, if theyve never moved before, they probably wont understand that theyll make new friends and learn to appreciate their new home.
Some studies have even shown that frequent moves during childhood can lead to more stress later in life. If youre moving with children, make sure to check in on how theyre doing and do what you can to help them relax. By making sure theyre taken care of, you may even reduce one source of stress related to your move.
Worry About Loved Ones
On top of your own worries and stress, you may be worried about other members of your family and how they are handling the move. Perhaps you have kids that are very resistant to the move and new school or an aging parent who is nervous about you leaving the area. Of course, their concerns are legitimate ones and will undoubtedly weigh on you as well.
Recommended Reading: How To Prevent Hair Loss From Stress
Accept That It’s An Emotional Time
Human beings tend to dislike change, says Melbourne-based psychologist Sarah Godfrey, so if you’re freaking out a bit ahead of the big move, cut yourself some slack.
Moving house can bring up “an incredibly complex range of emotions, from fear and anxiety about the change, to self-doubt about the decision, to grief and loss about the memories and the connections you have in the area”, says Ms Godfrey, who is also co-chair of Griefline Australia.
“It’s very usual to feel anxious and upset and distraught.”
Why Is Moving House So Stressful

Moving house is a good opportunity to meet new friends and start fresh, but it is also one of the most stressful activities that you will experience in life. After all, it comes with major life changes.
When you are moving, you are not only changing your house. You are also leaving your family, friends and everything you have become familiar with. The upheaval, lack of order and uncertainty that surround a big move can also trigger mental health conditions like depression, anxiety and OCD.
Thats why you need to understand what makes this process so stressful so that you can deal with it properly and make the transition so much easier for you.
Don’t Miss: Can Stress Cause You To Miss Your Period
Accept That Stress Is A Normal Part Of The Moving Process
Overcoming moving stress starts with acceptance. If you recognize from the get-go that you are probably going to incur some stress over the course of your move, youre less likely to let it set you back when it happens. Think about other times in your life that youve accepted occasional stress as a part of the process and simply worked through it, like school or your job. Stress is a natural human response to a demanding circumstance, but it isnt the end of the world. In fact, it can even be good for you. Take it for what it is and acknowledge the feeling when it happens, but dont let it deter you from the tasks at hand.
The Psychology Of Moving
- Read in app
SHAKE-UP
IN the nine years since he came to New York with $500 in his pocket, Martin-Christopher Harper estimates that he has moved at least 40 times.
When he lists the neighborhoods he has lived in in chronological order he sounds like a bartender reciting a long list of microbrews: Brooklyn, Chelsea Hotel for a moment, Bronx, Carroll Gardens, Crown Heights, Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, Greenpoint, Chelsea, Crown Heights, Carroll Gardens, Williamsburg, Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, Williamsburg, East Williamsburg …
Mr. Harper, 32, a hairstylist, moved to New York from Los Angeles, where he still has a share in an apartment. He says he moves a lot because he is always looking for a better deal, a better space, a better neighborhood. He acknowledges, though, that moving is something of a compulsion, and that after tackling the issue in therapy and connecting his feverish relocating to his moving frequently as a child, he has begun to cut down. He has lasted more than a year in his current apartment in East Williamsburg, a record for him in New York. These days he has a roommate, Eli J. Schmidt.
Whether one moves frequently or almost never, moving is an intensely emotional experience. The underlying psychological issues involved in real estate decisions are of great interest to therapists and psychologists, because housing and moving are filled with symbolism, the hope for new beginnings, crushing disappointments, loss, anxiety and fear.
Also Check: How To Become Less Stressed
Tony Cave: Covid Measures Have Made Trains Safest Way To Travel
Elaine Bond runs a counselling service in Gedling.
In this months column she talks about the best ways to manage stress when moving home
Ive not been around for a month or two as Ive moved to a new house, which is out of Gedling but I think I can still myself a Gedling girl as Ive only moved to Carlton. But it was really a stressful time and even though only one more box needs unpacking I am still not quite settled and I feel really tired. Have you ever wondered why moving house is one of the most stressful things we can do?
One of the real stresses, especially now during in Covid 19, is the massive change in routine. In previous articles about lockdown I have spoken about the importance of routine to keep us feeling safe and secure despite what is happening. Moving house disrupts all of our routines. When you start the process of selling your home, things have to change, which in my case meant things have to be tidied away from the viewers and working around viewings can disrupt a household much more than we think.
Even when we our lives remain a bit unstable for a while, as we must create new routines, find new places to store things, new routes to work and school and even new schools, gyms and shops. All of this mean our anxiety level is increased for a considerable period.
Talk to your children in advance and make sure they know what will happen and when.
If this is happening for you good luck you can do this and its worth it.