They say the most stressful events in life include bereavement, having a baby, and moving house. You’d be hard-pressed to find people who haven’t gone through at least one of these things, and whilst there’s not much that can make bereavement or the birth of a child less stressful, there are steps you can take to minimise the impact of a move on your mental health.
To try and make things a little more straightforward while you’re essentially picking your life up and putting it down somewhere else, we’ve assembled some tips for before and during the move that should hopefully make things go a little smoother.
You can’t prepare for every eventuality, but you can reduce your stress levels on more predictable parts of the move.
Early preparation
It cannot be stressed enough that beginning the planning and packing process early can pay dividends in the long run. Failure to prepare, prepare to fail and all that. What will help is creating some sort of master plan – a checklist you can work through for every stage of the move to ensure you’ve got the essentials covered; you can create it off the back of this article if you like!
Declutter before you move
Fancy hauling stuff you don’t use and don’t particularly want out of your current home, into a removals van (for which you’re probably paying), out of the removal van, and into your new home? No, we thought not; that’s why it’s a great idea to declutter as part of your moving prep.
Donating, selling, or disposing of unwanted items via charity shops, online selling platforms like eBay and Facebook marketplace, and the local recycling centre can free up some room in the removal van, your new home, and your head!
Organise and label
We’d strongly recommend taking a strategic approach to your packing – either room-by-room, or by categorising your items, such as clothes, crockery, electricals etc. This only works, though, if you’re vigilant about labelling, so that you can unpack easily, and find what you need when you’re going about life in your new home. Write these labels on your boxes physically with a trusty marker pen, or use a colour coding system if you’re feeling fancy.
Self-storage solutions
If you don’t need everything all at once, self-storage can ease the moving process. For example, if you’re moving in the middle of winter, you could probably afford (timewise) to put all the things from your garden and garage into storage for a bit while you sort out the essentials on moving day. Self-storage facilities, such as this company offering self storage in Kent, are flexible, secure, and convenient, allowing you to reduce some of the load on your mind by placing a bulk of your belongings into a safe unit.
Plan your moving day
Creating a detailed moving day timeline can really help prevent the special date from descending into chaos – liaise closely with your removal company, and create a to-do list to keep you on track. We also recommend packing an essentials box with the likes of toiletry and kitchen items needed immediately, so there’s no rummaging around in the evening when you’ve had quite enough.
Take care of yourself
Managing your stress levels will be key to ensuring you survive your moving day unscathed; remember to take breaks for food and water, and make sure you have some treats on hand to keep your spirits up.
Resting as much as you can before and after the day will help keep your energy levels optimal, and where possible, delegate tasks to movers and helpers so you’re not shouldering the strain alone.
Post-move organisation
It’s not all about the prep, however – some thought needs to go into the debrief, too. Prioritise your unpacking process around bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens, using the handy labelling system you employed earlier in the process. This is part of the more fun element of moving – setting up the home just the way you want it.
Don’t forget to explore your new neighbourhood by taking a stroll to suss out transport connections, local grocery stores, and, of course, those all-important takeaways!
Disclosure: collaborative post
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