Solutions to Resolve the Conundrum of Moving Anxiety

It sounds pretty simple: moving causes stress because it places tremendous responsibility on your shoulders. The way to deal with it is to plan and organize each part of the process, arrange furniture moving and decide on the moving company to work with. As they say, the only way out is through. But what if the stress follows you whatever you do, thoughts keep piling up and distort your sleep and leisure? The answer to this is also quite simple – the move means much more than just transferring belongings. And the meaning lies in the reasons that stand behind the decision to change the scenery.

In the article, we discuss relocation’s underlying pressures and suggest several clues to fight anxiety and restore peace in your head. Let’s start with the memory.

Imagine being a ten-year-old child whose parents decided to buy a new home in another state. You have no other choice than to comply. On the outside, your preparation for a move looks like that: you stick things in boxes, tell all your friends goodbye, eat the last ice cream and move on. However, on the inside, you go through all the changes in the self-image, worry about your parents’ relationships, and fear being out of place in the new neighborhood. Relocation cuts you out from the life’s script you’ve imagined and puts an unerasable mark. However, things become much more complicated when you are an adult who makes this choice. In addition to building a new life, you deal with unresolved relationships and possibilities you leave behind.

So let’s start digging the way out of the emotional pit and regain control over life.

1.   Formulate your story

The source of paramount stress and disorder may hide in the reasons that stand behind the decision. The New York Times wrote an insightful article on how the possibility or inability to change one’s location influences our psychological state. Apart from moving arrangements, you also think about the connections that you lose with your current home, like gym buddies or a familiar company on the dog playground. Moreover, the move may have disrupted some relationships, like when your family is opposed to your new job, and the move seems to be a physical break of connection.

Think more about the underlying issues that your relocation implies. They may be the leading cause of the stress you experience.

2.   Create the whole picture with a decent plan

Preparing for moving seems endless because you haven’t tried to plan it properly. Go from big to small. Here is an example if you plan to move a house:

• Divide the house into categories depending on the rooms’ functions. It’ll help to build a step-by-step process of packing the entire space.
• Decide on the materials and time needed to prepare a chosen area. Think about how many boxes you will need or which weekend you should dedicate to the task.
• Rent a moving company and leave all troubles to them. Just kidding, you’ll still need to decide which stuff to pack and what is better to place in a trash bin.

On the other hand, your psychological state may play a trick on you here. Let us introduce you to the Goldilocks complex that transforms a relaxed person into an impossible to satisfy faultfinder. So before any arrangements, embrace the thought of imperfection. Something will go wrong, and your task is to deal with the problems as they come and not as your head imagines them. Include risk management into the plan and be done with the worries.

3.   Dedicate more time than you think is necessary

Time is the prime source of anxiety — specifically, the time you delay the start of preparation. Instead of putting the matter into work as soon as possible, you delay making decisions and let your thoughts free to brood on the horrible scenarios of being late for everything. The way out is to bravely face the issue and not leave it on the top shelf to wait for better times.

Remember that the moving day process will take literally one day, but the preparation for it will last for months. Apart from packing stuff, you’ll need to change the mailing address, cancel subscriptions, and prepare the new home to take you in. That’s why thorough planning is the first step in the endeavor.

Harvard Business Review issued an article on time management, and here are the relevant points for your case:

• Evaluate your time management skills critically. Don’t fool yourself.
• Organize your thoughts and goals into a sustainable plan.
• Monitor your daily routine and understand how much time you spend on tasks.

When you know the tasks at hand, you’ll find a way to fit an extra one.

4.   Find a buddy to help you

Working alone may be a suitable way for some, but others prefer sharing the hardship with a friendly companion. Just keep in mind that you’re not alone. Your friends, family, or neighbors can become valuable support in the moving process. They can give a hand in the packing process or lend the needed materials to wrap your belongings.

Moreover, having people nearby is a perfect pretext for throwing a farewell party. Let good memories be the last in the place you’re leaving.

To wrap it up

It’s ok to be concerned about the move. As we said, the change of location has far-reaching consequences that can cause worries and uncertainty. However, you can deal with them by planning thoroughly and arranging the process beforehand. If you feel overwhelmed, ask somebody to help you with the task or even talk to your psychologist about the anxiety. There is always a way to resolve the conundrum.