Changing the usual environment inevitably leads to stress, and one of the most severe shocks is associated with moving. Moving can be planned or urgent, desired or forced, but still a person has to get used to a new environment. Moving to another city seriously changes the way of life of a person. The changes can only affect small household aspects: moving to a similar apartment on the same street, or they can be drastic: another city or even another country, changing a village to a city, or a sharp deterioration in housing conditions. In this case, external factors are superimposed on the experience of the hassle associated with organizational issues and adaptation to the situation in a new place: a change of school or kindergarten for the child, a change of work, a change in the usual environment and way of life. Having years of experience in moving business we know where to start to eliminate tension, for example you may start planning your budget using our moving cost calculator or download our thoroughly prepared checklist for moving.

How to prepare for moving and reduce the stress of moving?

Causes of stress when moving

All people, even the lightest on the rise, experience psychological stress when moving. This is due to the fact that the familiar environment gives a sense of stability and security, and moving almost always conceals some uncertainty. In addition, the place where a person has lived for some time is connected by emotional ties. You always have to give up some things, leave them in the old apartment forever or pass them on to other people. Often this is perceived as a symbolic rejection of a part of the past and is experienced painfully.

Moving can be a logical part of a new stage of life

The first own, even rented, housing for grown children, a wedding, the birth of a child, improving material well-being, changing the city as part of career growth. Sometimes this is a conscious step with the goal of cardinal changes in fate. Now, due to the coronavirus situation, it is very popular to move urban residents to the village, away from civilization. In this case, changes are almost always known in advance, and there is time to prepare for them.

At the same time, when moving becomes a kind of boundary between two stages of life, the stress is caused not so much by the fact of changing the place of residence, but by the realization that a person is entering a new phase. The move serves as a unique and most significant symbol of these changes.

If the reasons for moving are related to negative events — divorce, deterioration of the financial situation, the need to move to a sick relative to care for him — the stress usually increases many times. Often such moves are urgent, the preparation for them is chaotic. In this case, they become proof of the instability of life and further increase anxiety and fear of the future.

If you are moving to another city alone read our guide on how to make friends in a new place after moving.

How to pack?

Packing things should be done in this way:

• Put the heaviest items (books, for example) in the suitcases on wheels.
• Boxes should not be heavier than twenty kilograms. This way you will be able to finish transferring things much faster and not hurt yourself.
• Wrap the laundry boxes with plastic wrap, sort the items into boxes. So you will save a couple of hours after arriving at a new place.
• Sign the boxes with an indication of what is located and where. For example, if you plan to carry kitchen utensils, then write this on the box.
• It is better to wrap fragile items with old clothes, scarves, towels.
• Use packaging bags and boxes, not regular bags. An excellent choice will be the purchase of vacuum bags.

How to prepare for the move to another city

Preparing for the move involves two aspects: psychological and organizational. The first implies the right attitude, not only to the upcoming changes, but also to the technical nuances of preparation. Packing things, loading them in the car and settling in a new place inevitably cause confusion, confusion and can end in irritation and quarrels. And if it is not always possible to avoid anxiety about the future, then it is quite possible to prevent the stress of fees. To do this, you should follow a few rules:

• Decide in advance on the things that you need to take to a new home, plan how and in what to pack them, in what order.
• In order not to look for things in a new place for a long time, all the boxes need to be signed and numbered. In a new place, no matter how tempting it is to postpone unpacking unimportant things for “later”, it is better to do it as soon as possible. The new home will be treated as a permanent home, not a temporary home.
• One or two days before moving and a couple of days after completely devote to this process. And you also need to be prepared for the fact that even with the most careful preparation, force majeure can occur. It is good if this does not happen, but this attitude will help you to treat emergency situations more easily, not to get upset about them and not to look for dark omens in everything.

If you follow these recommendations, the move will be much easier emotionally. Remove the negative aspects will help the right attitude. In your imagination, you need to draw a positive image of the future in a new place. This is easy to do if the reasons for moving are related to pleasant changes in life. It is more difficult to remain optimistic if the change of residence was forced. In this case, experts recommend that you realize the need for this step and accept it. Yes, these are not the changes that were desired, and they will cause inconvenience or pain. But moving is a new page in our lives, an opportunity to look at ourselves in a new way and change something.

Packing things

Before moving, you should decide on the things that you plan to take with you. And a grateful farewell to the past will also help: mentally say thank you to your already former home for the pleasant moments associated with it. Usually after this comes a sense of completeness and ease, with which it is easier to meet the new, no matter how frightening it may be. You can make a farewell more tangible — have a party with friends or a farewell tea party.

In the same way, it makes sense to perform a ritual in a new place. It doesn’t matter what it will be — the traditional launching of a cat into the apartment, the first tea party or something else. The main thing is that there is an internal acceptance of the new place.

The psychology of moving to another city

“I’ll leave everything and go away!” – at least once each of us dreamed. In other cities, the grass is greener, the sun is warmer, the air is cleaner, people are kinder and salaries are higher. No matter how much you would like to conquer the capital or some other city, and maybe even the country, think carefully about whether you are ready for the upcoming difficulties. Psychologists in terms of intensity equate the stress of moving to the experience of the death of a loved one!

Everyone has their own reasons for leaving. The most rare, but the most valuable resource, according to the psychologist, is the inner feeling of being a citizen of the world. Such people feel no boundaries either in the outside world or in the heart. They follow personal call to any city or country. Such migrants feel at home everywhere, and the difficulties of moving are treated as new adventures.

Moving to another city for opportunities

Many people go to expand the horizons of opportunities. The career ceiling has been reached in the hometown, and the opportunities in other cities are amazing. I want to dare, grow up and try. Such migrants are full of enthusiasm and high expectations.

Another of the most common reasons for moving is circumstances or for someone else. The husband is transferred for work, a small child is always sick in the local climate, or, conversely, adult children go to school and do not plan to return. Most often, such a decision is made involuntarily, of course, the adoption of new living conditions does not proceed as smoothly as in previous cases.

The most conscious, balanced move is made by the elderly. Usually in warmer climes or in a small Homeland. Having retired, having weighed all the pros and cons, such immigrants prepare for this, as a rule, for more than one year. They save money, find out living conditions and prices, study neighborhoods and housing prices. Moving is perceived as a reward — for years of work, savings, etc. Most often, new resources open up in a new place, and the person seems to grow younger.

If a person is ready to move, it is always a big internal decision, some dissatisfaction with the circumstances or a desire for something better and more. There is some unclosed internal need, and therefore, the resources for its implementation. The main thing, as in any other case, is not to act impulsively, but step by step and very soberly.

RUNNING AWAY OR LOOKING FOR IT

Things are collected, the container is ordered, the wires are gone, and tickets are on hand. The person leaving is full of excitement, plans and hopes that everything will definitely be different there. According to psychologists, this is the main trap that those who leave fall into. The scenery will change, but the hero will remain the same. In addition to things, you take away all your personal baggage of feelings and experiences — your attitudes, fears, behaviors. The hackneyed phrase “you can’t run away from yourself” is perfectly suitable when there is a craving for moving. The same cockroaches in your head that prompted you to change will go with you, and in new stressful conditions can get out of control.

Therefore, before making a fateful decision, it is important to understand what guides you? The desire to escape from an unhappy love, an uncomplicated career, bad memories, or just from a not very interesting life? Or the realization that you have grown out of your own city, like out of children’s pants, and you need a new space to live in?