Home Moving tips Tips on how to deal with the stress of moving

How to deal with the stress of moving?

Last updated on: March 23, 2021

The numbers show it: moving is a source of anxiety for a great amount of Canadians! Indeed, according to a survey made by Léger Marketing, 87% of us feel unready to move. It is also proven that moving is the fourth most stress-inducing event, coming right after the death of a loved one, a divorce or break-up, and job loss.

To help you deal with the anxiety of moving, and tackle your move (successfully!) in a calm, cool and collected manner, we rounded up in this article a list of tips and tricks you could use.

1. Organize your move in several steps

The most stress-inducing part of a move is the feeling of being unprepared. We often feel overwhelmed and think that everything will have to be done at the last minute. The best remedy? Make a to-do-list! By organizing all the tasks you need to do in the coming weeks up until your move, you will feel like you are gradually making progress and that you have control over the process of moving.

2. New neighborhood? Explore it beforehand!

Moving often entails changing neighborhoods, or even cities. It also means to deal with new neighbors! This can bring about a loss of points of reference. Plus, we often dread leaving a familiar environment. The best cure is to adapt to your new neighborhood before your moving day! During the weekends preceding your move, explore and get accustomed to the stores, the main living spaces, the parks, or the sports centers located in the surrounding area!

3. It’s never too early to start packing boxes

We tend to think that packing up is a task we make towards the end of the moving process. However, organizing your boxes in advance allows you to save time, all the while removing some stress off your back. Here’s our advice: make your boxes starting with the most unnecessary things, before moving on to the necessities, while simultaneously sorting through the items you don’t use anymore. Moreover, consider setting up some kind of labeling system for your boxes, in order to know where each and every item is located. For more information, refer to our article on how to pack your house strategically.

4. Parents, talk it over with your children

Just as moving is an important step in an adult’s life, it can be a distressing one for a child. Children might experience anxiety during this transitioning stage. The key is to talk to kids about the positive aspects of moving, to assign them tasks they can perform to help the move in the form of games, as well as giving them a visit of their future home.

5. Clear your mind!

To avoid constantly thinking about your imminent move, try engaging in distracting activities, like doing sports (running, yoga, bodybuilding, etc.), or practicing an instrument if you’re more of a musician! Similarly, opt for outings that make you feel good, like watching a movie, going to a hockey game to relieve some of the stress, or dining at a tasty restaurant to make you and your belly happy! All in all, the purpose is to channel your anxiety towards, and reduce your stress through, these activities.

Special Mention!

Moving is often synonymous of stress, long administrative tasks and a significant waste of time and money. MovingWaldo helps you solve all these problems in just a few clicks! After some shameless self-promotion, we invite you to discover our free moving tools available to all.