Moving house is considered one of the most stressful experiences a person can go through, especially if the move is unanticipated or comes on the back of financial or other struggles. Luckily it can also be incredibly rewarding, opening up a world of new opportunities, possibilities and friendships. You just need the right tools to get through moving house stress so you can begin to enjoy your change of scenery.
Australians move house a lot. A survey from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed that from 2019 to 2020, 1.14 million households had moved at least once in the previous 12 months. Moving house offers lifestyle changes, new employment possibilities and a fresh start. When you know how to stay calm when moving, your road to reaping those rewards is faster and more enjoyable.
As your local and interstate removalists, Ready Movers knows how to move houses smoothly and efficiently. Here’s our guide to dealing with moving stress so you can enjoy your new home.
Why Moving House Causes Stress
Why is moving so stressful? Psychologist Meredith Fuller says our home is a symbol of ourselves and our haven from the outside world. Having to change that is a major disruption to our lives, and grief is a part of that process. Here are some of the most common issues you may find arising when moving house:
Feeling uprooted
Moving to a new place means leaving behind the familiar and taking a chance on the new. This includes not only your house but also your closest café and local dog park—everyday places around your neighbourhood where you regularly go about your business. This change of scenery creates a sense of uncertainty and loss that can easily spill over into anxiety.
Disruption of routines
Moving house interrupts the daily routines and habits that give us a sense of certainty and control, and means we have a major new commitment that we have to make time in our busy schedules for.
Logistics
There’s so much to remember and do when moving house, from packing and unpacking to connecting utilities at your new place, changing your address with all the relevant departments, hiring bond cleaners, dealing with real estate, etc. It’s a lot to keep in mind, and often, it can be both mentally and emotionally draining.
Workload
Moving house not only requires a lot of planning but also a lot of physical work, from packing and unpacking to (if it’s a DIY move) driving back and forth between houses. Most people want to get their move over and done with as quickly as possible so they can get back to their day-to-day lives. Unfortunately, this often means fitting a lot of strenuous and sometimes physically demanding work into a fairly short amount of time.
Adjusting to a new area
Being a stranger in a brand-new location can be daunting. You can feel like you’re starting over from scratch. You may wonder how you’ll adjust to the change of scenery and whether you’ll like your new neighbours. If you’re an anxious person, this is likely to play on your mind and contribute even further to moving stress.
Tips on Easing Stress When Moving
You may not be able to eliminate the stress of moving house completely, but you can certainly reduce it. Here are some tips both for preventing moving house stress before it happens and dealing with it if it arises:
Make a moving checklist
There are so many things to remember when moving house that it’s a stressful event for anyone. And when you haven’t adequately planned for your move or you forget something important, it can make you feel even worse. Make a checklist at least four to six weeks before your moving date that lists everything you need to do, whether it’s getting quotes from removalists and cleaners, organising insurance, connecting utilities etc.
Start packing early
Leaving all your packing until the last minute can cause some shambolic scenes close to moving day. To help everything run smoothly, begin packing at least a few weeks before you move, starting with the stuff you don’t use very often.
Get plenty of sleep
Getting adequate sleep is important for mental health, and it’s something you can’t afford to neglect in the lead-up to your move. Make sure you and your family are adequately rested in the days and weeks before your big move.
Take it slow
Focus on the task at hand. Don’t feel like you need to unpack at once or get everything done on the same day. Remember to take regular breaks when you need to.
Be mindful
Practising meditation before and during your move keeps you grounded in the present moment and prevents you from being caught up in stress. Meditation can restore a sense of calm and balance that helps to bring your breathing and heart rate back to normal levels and improve your focus.
Get used to the new area
Familiarising yourself with a new area before you move there will allow you to get a feel for the place well in advance and make it easier for you to settle in when your move is over.
Hire professional removalists
One surefire way to reduce the stress involved with moving house is to hire professionals to take care of the moving duties. Professional removalists have the right training and equipment to move your furniture and household items from your old house to your new one, freeing you up to focus on the rest of your busy life.
Why Is It Important To Minimise Stress When Moving?
Stress is a serious health issue. It can affect your health in ways you might not consciously be aware of, causing problems like high blood pressure, headaches, sleeping problems and lack of focus. If left untreated, it can lead to medical issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
Moving house is a tumultuous life event, and the emotions it triggers can trigger mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Stress can cloud your judgement and lead to impulsive or poor decision-making, cause fatigue, exhaustion, burnout or physical illness that takes you out of action or puts a strain on your family relationships. When you know how to stay calm when moving, the experience is much better for you and everyone involved.
Move House Stress-Free With Ready Movers
Hiring removalists is a guaranteed way to eliminate moving house stress, and Ready Movers is dedicated to helping you have a stress-free move.
Our home removal services can handle all kinds of moves: large and small, local and interstate. We don’t just do the hard work for you; we guide you through the process and always go the extra mile. We’re happy to supply high-quality materials and assemble and disassemble your furniture. As an AFRA-accredited moving company, we can offer you peace of mind on local home removals, and if anything should happen to your possessions, we’ll repair or replace them. It’s in our Ready Movers Written Guarantee.
Our packing and moving services ensure that your goods are transported safely and efficiently, with accommodations for fragile, heavy and bulky items. Offering a full pack and move service customised to your needs, we can pack and unpack your entire home or a single room and provide high-quality packing materials so you always have the right gear for your move when you need it.
To find out more about our approach and how we can help you with your own stress-free move, contact the Ready Movers team for a free quote.
