5 Tips to Reduce Stress When Moving House
Moving house is stressful, there is no doubt about it. All the paperwork, the organising and the packing can easily get overwhelming and leave you feeling defeated.
Keen to help homeowners with the stress of moving, life coach Sam Lister and property buying company Quick Move Now have teamed up to offer their top stress-busting tips.
Sam explains: “We all know that moving house can be an incredibly stressful experience. The different elements of a move can feel all-consuming, and it can be difficult to focus on anything else. Our top tips aim to help home movers keep everything in balance and ensure their perspective is a healthy one.”
Danny Luke, Quick Move Now’s managing director, says: “As the UK’s largest home buying company, we support homeowners at all stages of the moving process. We appreciate the stresses associated with each element of a house move and have put together these tips to help movers reduce their levels of stress and anxiety, making the whole move a more manageable process.”
Top tips for a stress-free move
1. Make lists and plans
Making lists and plans helps in two different ways. Firstly, it helps to quieten your mind by offloading your concerns and externalising your thoughts. Secondly, it adds structure and order to a process that can often feel beyond your control. Having simple tick lists and ordered plans means you can focus on, and tackle, one task at a time. This really helps to prevent the feeling of overwhelm that can easily occur during a major life event like moving house.
2. Stay in the moment
When you’re moving house, especially when unexpected challenges arise, it can be easy to catastrophise and get lost in a series of ‘what ifs’. It’s important that you make a real effort to stay in the present moment and try not to predict the future. Just deal with the current challenge and try to resolve it without worrying too much about what happens next. If you usually practice any mindfulness techniques, this can be a great time to use them. If that’s not your cup of tea, a simple walk and some fresh air can offer a great opportunity to calm yourself and help you focus on the issue at hand.
3. Remember the basics
In times of stress, it is easy for us to forget the basics. Getting enough sleep, eating well and getting some light exercise will all help our bodies and minds cope with the stress and uncertainty associated with moving house. Fatigue and low blood sugar often mean we are less resilient and more likely to experience the physical signs of stress.
4. Keep talking
Talking is one of the best things you can do in any stressful situation. It gives your mind a chance to externally process your experience and also gives the opportunity to gather advice and different perspectives from those you trust. Whether you choose to speak to a family member, a friend or a professional, talking a challenge through is a great way to relieve stress.
5. Keep perspective
When you’re in the middle of a moving house, it can feel never-ending. When you’re going through something like a house move, it’s important to keep perspective about where and how it fits in with the rest of your life. What is your motivation for moving and what will life look like once the move is complete? What benefits are waiting for you on the other side of the move? More space? New location? Better financial situation? Whatever your reason for moving, keep that at the forefront of your mind when you’re struggling with the challenges.
There’s no point downplaying the stress of moving house. Poll after poll tells us that people consider it one of the most stressful things you will do in your lifetime. However, if you approach it in a healthy way – controlling what you can but being adaptable to challenges as they arise – you will find it easier to keep the move in perspective and avoid becoming overwhelmed by the task at hand.
