It’s commonly acknowledged that moving house is one of the most stressful things you can go through- but it’s also something everyone has to go through at some point. Moving house is a constant series of stress and pressure, from hunting down the perfect new place to beating others to securing it, then negotiations and onto the stressful practicalities of actually packing up and moving.
And there is also the added dimension of the emotions a change of home can bring, because the truth is that many house moves are actually prompted by other life events or a change of circumstances – family plans, job loss, relationships breaking up, relocation or illness, so the emotions involved in abandoning our previous home environments can also be mixed up with other events.
Many people move multiple times in their life due to further education or work – we no longer expect to live in the same house, or even in the same country, from cradle to grave. And if a move has come about due to factors outside of your personal control it can be even harder to handle. It can have a serious impact on your wellbeing if you don’t have the right coping strategies in place. So, how do you avoid a house move related meltdown?
Put coping mechanisms in place to help you deal with upheaval.
Give Yourself Time
For some of us, a typical coping mechanism when faced with all the stress and anxiety a move can bring on, would be to bury our heads in the sand and refuse to think about what’s coming- especially if the move is connected with a negative life event such as illness or a break-up. But the secret to limiting stress around a move is very much to be fully prepared in advance – so the ostrich approach isn’t going to cut it. Instead, start by finding a checklist of tasks for moving house, which will help both by ensuring the practicalities are taken care of and by giving you a practical, tangible focus to channel your nervous energy.
Rely On Family and Friends
When we try to hard to force emotional resilience, we can end up unintentionally making things harder by isolating ourselves from those who care. Instead, leverage your support network to help you – from packing and shifting boxes, to finding a vehicle through a website like http://sydneyutehire.com.au/ to transport your belongings if you want to save costs on a removal firm to talking through your feelings about the move. Moving is a major life event and most people will be happy to help out.
Plan Your Coping Mechanisms
Now that you’ve acknowledged your feelings about the move, plan out a few coping mechanisms ahead of time and rehearse them in your head. It could be as simple as envisaging what you will do if the removals company doesn’t turn up on time and deciding to see the funny side and use humour to get you through. Or you could decide that you will make a little ritual of going around each room when it’s empty and saying goodbye and thank you for the memories to help you let it go. It could even be spending time in your new neighbourhood ahead of time so that you know the best cafe to visit for your morning coffee or where to pick up some milk. The key is having the self-awareness to understand your personal triggers, and taking steps to help. Actively manage your state of mind on the day so that you don’t panic or get too overwhelmed in the midst of everything. Work on a script of affirmations that you can use if things start to spiral – ‘I can sort that out once everything is moved’ or ‘A little chaos will soon be over’ or ‘I am moving forward in my life’ are good ones to begin with.
