Good mental preparation before and during a move is the key to a successful relocation story.
Good mental preparation before and during a move is the key to a successful relocation story.

It is universally known that moving often turns out to be a stressful experience with an insatiable appetite for time and money.

The psychological impact of any relocation process cannot be predicted with any certainty and its side effects may last from a couple of weeks to a few years depending on what type of person you are. Being well prepared for the upcoming move is fundamental not only for your emotional well-being, but for that of the people around you as well.

There is no question that life is chaotically unpredictable and a person can never know beforehand what’s awaiting them around the corner so that they can get ready for the challenge accordingly. The mental preparation before and during a move will contribute greatly to the success of the relocation operation.

“Plans are nothing; planning is everything”

Use a weekly planner to organize your time better and decrease the stress level up to and on the moving day.
Use a weekly planner to organize your time better and decrease the stress level up to and on the moving day.

Smart detailed planning is the foundation of every good moving strategy, and such a strategy will ultimately present you with the reassuring thought that you have decent control over the situation. All you have to do is to put some effort into making the necessary relocation arrangements for a successful move. The typical approach here is to make a thorough list of all the tasks that you need to complete, and then cram these chores into a week-by-week planner (if possible, allow yourself at least 8 weeks of preparation time). Such a planner will give you a much clearer view at the larger organizational picture, and will help you lessen tremendously the inevitable stress of the moving day.

Unfortunately, more often than not, time is out of our control, and no matter how much you try to plan ahead, a move may sneak up behind your back and yell out “Boo!” at the top of its lungs. And when it happens, you need to act fast in order to buy yourself enough time to prepare adequately. Simply because we always lose the war with time doesn’t mean that we cannot win the fight, right? Follow these impeccable expert tips for a headache-free moving day organization.

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It’s time to say goodbye

When people care genuinely for each other, nothing can stop them from keeping in touch.
When people care genuinely for each other, nothing can stop them from keeping in touch.

Spending time with your family members and friends before moving away is the best way to say your emotional goodbyes with them. Organize a farewell party, invite your pals over to watch together a sporting event on TV or play a game of cards. Or why not invite them out for dinner at a fancy restaurant, catch the latest movie or just take a nice long stroll in the park? These priceless hours with your loved ones are the appropriate moment to inform them about the upcoming change, to exchange contact information and to discuss when, where and how often you will meet again.

Saying goodbye to your favorite places is also important since it may be years before you have the chance to go back and see them again. Take one last walk through your neighborhood or visit your favorite spots – just try to relive the good memories linked to each place. Hopefully, these distilled memorable mental snapshots will be invaluable later on when you’re trying to adjust to the new environment.

You are what matters most

Consuming too much coffee in order to squeeze out more time is never a good idea.
Consuming too much coffee in order to squeeze out more time is never a good idea.

Stress and anxiety during the preparation phase up to the moving day may result in negligence of your own needs. You should never sacrifice your health in order to have additional time to get more work done. If time is really pressing you and you feel that you won’t finish the tasks on time, then, instead of subjecting yourself to less sleep, junk food or outbursts of despair and frustration, ask for help.

Professional help is just a phone call or a few mouse clicks away – experienced moving companies will readily assist you in your relocation preparations and can answer any questions you may have. Transferring the tough organizational task and the time-consuming packing job to a trustworthy licensed mover will unburden your mind of a number of worries. However, it could prove to be too expensive, in which case, you may resort to asking your family and/or friends for help. Yes, sometimes it can be hard to do so but remember that most people have experienced at least one move in their lifetime, and therefore will understand the tough situation you are in and probably be glad to help you out.

Make sure you take good care of yourself. Skipping meals, hours of sleep or any other essential points from your healthy daily routine is probably the worst idea that may pop up in your head, closely followed by any attempts to get “more time” by consuming excessive amounts of coffee or energy drinks. And while it is an undeniable fact that moving preparations will most likely eat up large chunks of your time, this “lost” time should never be compensated at the expense of your health.

Why don’t you come up with some special treats for yourself once you cross out a task as completed, such as a dinner out, a movie or anything else you enjoy doing?

A change might do you good

Is this glass of water half empty or half full?
Is this glass of water half empty or half full?

Do your best to stay calm whatever happens before or after the move. Many things may go wrong, and maybe some of them will. However, if you acknowledge that you have no control whatsoever over what life throws at you, then it’ll be easier to simply accept the occurrence and deal with it the best you can. In retrospect, there are always tens of different ways you could have done something better to prevent any mishaps from happening but what’s done is done and there’s no use crying over spilled milk. Well, if only you had a time machine at your disposal!

Be optimistic. Moving doesn’t need to be a negative experience – in your case, it could end up being a positive and rewarding one. Try to focus on the advantageous aspects of relocation: it could mean a fresh start in an interesting waiting-to-be-explored location, a better job with bright future prospects and new good friends to have fun with. Fate works in mysterious ways and you never know what fantastic life-changing adventure is waiting for you at your new home. Replace your fear of the unknown with a surge of excitement at the unexplored.

You know how in sports usually the opponent who’s mentally tougher wins the match? This same phenomenon holds true for the majority of situations in life. Being adequately ready in the head can greatly aid you to deal effectively with any hardship that each day may have in store for you.

Don’t forget that every beginning is tough. Your move could get you out of your comfort zone and you may experience certain undesired effects, such as disorientation, homesickness, etc. The trick is to give yourself enough time to acclimatize to your new surroundings.

Breathe in through your nose, count to six, hold your breath for just a moment and exhale slowly and smoothly as you count to ten. And then repeat to yourself, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

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