Feeling super stressed about moving house? Here are 9 must-know tips to reduce the stress of moving house.
Moving house is up there with one of the most stressful life events and you may have seen several places providing tips for a 'stress-free' move.
However, you should start by managing your own expectations ! Moving house is never going to be entirely stress free unless you're exceptionally chilled out. But there are definitely several tricks you can do to help reduce your stress.
We'll cover 9 must-know tips to help you get through the moving process with less stress:
Be aware of common mistakes
Learn how to prioritise
Beat procrastination
Learn to delegate
Don't neglect your health
Take regular breaks
Enjoy ticking stuff off your list
Treat others well
Gratitude
This post is all about how to reduce the stress of moving house.
Tip 1: Be aware of common mistakes
Prevention is always better than cure. There are some major mistakes when moving house that you seriously want to avoid, as they will save you a ton of stress.
We have a whole separate post on moving mistakes to avoid, so you won't fall into the common traps, but the key mistakes you want to avoid are:
1.) Miscommunication
2.) Not doing your research
3.) Not keeping a paper trail
4.) Not factoring in enough time
5.) Losing track of finances
6.) Not nipping issues in the bud
7.) Not knowing who to contact when things go wrong
Tip 2: Learn how to prioritise
Moving house can feel like a full time job. It requires a lot of planning and co-ordination, which is why it's essential to prioritise.
You might be super excited to pick out fancy paint colours for your new home, but if you haven't even started packing up your house or ordering a removals service, then don't waste your time on this.
Focus on the big essential tasks first, such as booking services and ordering packaging materials. It can really add to your stress if time is running out and you've left all the major stuff right until the last minute.
You can view our ultimate moving house checklist to help you prioritise, as it tells you what exactly to do and when.
Tip 3: Beat Procrastination
"Procrastination is the thief of time"~Edward Young.
It really is. And no time left + lots to do = stress.
You could have factored in all the time in the world but if you procrastinate on your list of things to do, you'll soon find that time has gone and you're no further forward.
Some things you can do to beat procrastination when moving house are:
- Break your tasks down into manageable chunks
- Block out time in your day to do a specific task and set a timer
- Start doing one task for just 5 minutes (you'll most likely carry on. Starting is the hardest part !)
- Don't sit down until you've finished doing the task in your allocated time
- Don't wait for motivation or until you feel like doing it. Just get up and do it ! You can use Mel Robbin's 5 second rule to help you with this
Tip 4: Learn To Delegate
If you're a bit of a perfectionist, you might want to be in total control to make sure nothing goes wrong. However, this is one very quick way to get completely stressed and burnt out!
Make use of those around you and don't be afraid to ask family or friends for help. Once you've prioritised your list of tasks, think about who is best placed to help you with each one.
Even if you just give someone else the small easy tasks to do, it will be one less thing you have to worry about. Just make sure to give super clear instructions if you'd like something packed or done a certain way.
Remember, you don't have to do everything and sometimes somebody else can do the job even better than you. If you have a ton of heavy furniture that needs moving, it can save you so much hassle just to get a removals company to do it. They'll have professional experience and you also avoid the risk of causing yourself an injury!
Tip 5: Don't Neglect Your Health
Sleep
Sleep is everything. No matter how busy you are or how long your to do list is always try and prioritise sleep (7+ hrs). You will be much more productive and less likely to make mistakes. It will also help prevent you getting sick and run down whilst trying to move.
If you're struggling to get a good night's sleep, there is no harm in trying to sneak in a nap during the day.
Eat Well
When you're feeling stressed and super busy, you'll most likely find yourself reaching for the junk food when moving house. If this is a one off, that's ok but don't think you can do this for the entire moving process. The moving process can be very lengthy !
You'll end up feeling even more tired and sluggish if you're living off junk food for months on end. It's much better to try and get into the habit of eating healthy as this will give you much more energy when moving house.
Get moving
Moving makes you feel like you have 101 things to do and no time left for anything else. Just like sleep, prioritise getting outside even if it's just for 15 minutes.
Don't underestimate the power of walking. You don't have to embark on a rigorous exercise regime to feel good. Walking outside and getting fresh air can do absolute wonders for your mood and help relieve your stress.
Tip 6: Take Regular Breaks
Short bursts
You don't need to do everything at once. The main thing is that you're doing something and a little bit each day.
Even if you're doing everything else right, trying to rush and get through everything all at once, can easily result in making mistakes, which can send your stress levels through the roof.
Start early, give yourself plenty of time, and take regular breaks. This way you'll feel less overwhelmed and still be making progress.
Deep Breathing
Sometimes it all just gets a bit much. Deep breathing is SO powerful when it comes to calming your body down. Just 5 or 10 minutes of deep breathing can make a massive difference.
Breathe in your nose for 4 counts. Hold. Breathe out your mouth for 4 counts. Next time you're feeling on edge, give this is a go.
Tip 7: Enjoy ticking stuff off your list
If you're feeling stressed and low, it can be surprisingly satisfying to cross stuff off a list. You'll see that you're making progress and feel like you're achieving something.
So make sure you have a moving house checklist ready to go, so you can start ticking stuff off.
Tip 8: Treat Others Well
When you're stressed, it can be very easy to get short and snappy with everyone around you. Try and avoid this as much as possible.
You'll be surprised at how much more people are willing to help you and make your life easier if you treat them well. This applies to all the services you use when moving house too, such as a removals company.
If there is a problem, don't immediately jump to conclusions and start getting angry. There could be a perfectly simple explanation so give people the benefit of the doubt even when you're stressed.
You won't get anywhere shouting and people will most likely be on edge around you.
Tip 9: Gratitude
If you're healthy, got some food and have a roof over your head, you're good. Practicing gratitude can really help put things into perspective. You'll begin to realise that things which seem like major problems are actually not, so there's no need to stress as much over them.
This post was all about how to reduce the stress of moving house.
If you found this helpful, you can view our upcoming content on our coming soon page to see what's next !
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