Tips for a less-stress house move
Some people move frequently, while others like to stay put. But everyone finds it stressful, writes Rachel Clun.
In the last 10 years, I’ve moved house nine times.
While I usually move for positive reasons (and I could also be considered a moving expert by now), I still find the idea of packing all my belongings and moving again stressful.
It’s a cycle that goes like this: I find a new house to move into. Then, I delay sorting out all my junk to the last minute, so I have to pack everything regardless of whether I want to take it or not. Halfway through my packing panic I contemplate burning all my belongings to be done with it, but somehow manage to shift all my stuff in a haze of boxes and vans and pizza. After I’ve unpacked, I promise I’ll be more organised next time.
Yet for my most recent move I found myself surrounded by all my unpacked belongings on moving day, wondering how the hell I was going to pack it, move it, and unpack it all in one day. I somehow managed to get it done – thanks in part to a very patient helper – but after moving in such a hurry I began to panic that I’d made the wrong choice of house and suburb and I should have never moved in the first place.
If it sounds like a familiar scenario, that’s probably because it is: psychologist Meredith Fuller says regardless of how frequently you move house, getting stressed about it is a normal reaction.
‘‘It very much depends on the individual and what’s happening in their life at the time, but too much disruption is very traumatic and stressful,’’ she says.
‘‘Even if you’re moving for a positive reason – you’re going to uni, got a new job or you’re moving in with a partner – it is still a huge stressor.’’
However, Fuller says moving can also be a really positive experience.
‘‘When you move, you have to get out there and explore the neighbourhood, see what’s happening in the area and meet new people,’’ she says. ‘‘It’s really good to shake things up a bit if you feel your life is boring.’’
Fuller understands moving isn’t easy, but there are (thankfully) things you can do to make moving painless, and help you settle in your new home.
First, it’s important not to let the situation control you, and work out how you can minimise the stress.
‘‘You might say, ‘OK, I’ll get help’,’’ Fuller says. ‘‘But don’t say, ‘I’ll just hire a truck’: put a bit of money aside to make it as stress free as possible.
Big moves can be particularly hard, including leaving a home you’ve been in for a long time. Tons of extra planning is involved, but you can also feel like you’re ripping your roots out when you relocate. Instead of simply trying to deal with it, Fuller says you need to let yourself mourn what you’ll lose in the move to be able to fully enjoy the benefits of your new home.
‘‘Let yourself say goodbye, and you can look at what you might gain from the new move,’’ she says. ‘‘There are going to be some things you’ll miss, but there will also be ones you’re glad to be rid of.’’
If you’re moving into an area you don’t know, she suggests spending a few nights in the area before you move so it’s not a completely foreign place – and also so you can work out if you really want to live there or not.
Most importantly, she says, you need to keep your friends around you.
‘‘They can remind you how easily you got through other changes, like changing your job, which helps you to remember that you’ll be able to move on and get through it.’’