Moving Blog

Advice for Staying Positive During a Move

June 05, 2019

It’s no secret that everybody hates moving. Looking at your new place online and thinking about what you’ll do with all of the extra space and blank walls is exciting—but then you remember you have to go through the process of getting there first. Cue the groans and dramatic sighing!

Moving is stressful, time-consuming, and just exhausting overall. We’re not just talking about moving day either. The entire process of stripping one home and transplanting it into another is daunting and draining no matter how cool your new neighborhood is. That’s why it’s important to keep your head up as high as you can.

Heed these tips for staying upbeat during a move and before you know it, you’ll be feeling right at home in your new space!

Start out with a positive mindset.

The mental state you begin with on the path to your new home will set the stage for each step you take towards completing your move. Staying positive is something you’ll have to work at for the duration of the process—starting out on the right foot will make it much easier to maintain that energy!

Before you start packing up your stuff or even buying boxes, sit down and make a list of what you’re excited about for this move. Maybe you get to explore a new city, start a new job, or finally live within walking distance of your favorite bar. Whatever makes you smile when you imagine your new home—write it down! This gives you something to look back to when time gets tough and moving day gets closer.

Make time for friends, family, and yourself.

Moving pretty much takes over your whole life until you’re settled in your new spot. It’s important to step back and take some time to nurture your own physical and mental health. Give yourself a break from purging the closets and packing your boxes!

Spend time with friends and family—and try to enjoy it! Plan something fun like a day at an amusement park, or just set aside an hour to have lunch with a friend. Use the people in your circle as positive distractions from the stress that piles up with each step of the moving process.

If you’re feeling particularly anxious, sweat it out at the gym or give your mom a call to vent. Don’t forget you’re not alone in this!

Give yourself plenty of prep time.

The best advice we have for anyone who’s making a move big or small is to start early! This will give you enough time to spread out the tasks on your to-do list—yeah, you should be making one of those—and be thorough at each point.

Get your supplies ahead of time, and don’t leave packing until the last minute. If you pack in shorter bursts over time, you’ll save yourself a lot of mental strain and probably prevent a couple mistakes too. Don’t save everything until the week before your lease is up. Start packing as soon as you’re ready and organize as you go to feel like you’re maintaining some control during a chaotic time.

A huge relief for your burdens will be to hire professional movers to take care of the heavy lifting. Reduce stress on the day of the move and minimize the amount of anxiety you have leading up to it. A fully trained and experienced moving team will leave you with far less to worry about, and far less to do.

Connect with fond memories.

Embrace the nostalgia as you sift through your belongings! You’re bound to run into a few opportunities to take a stroll down memory lane as you purge your household and organize it into neatly-packed boxes.

Take the time to look through forgotten relics as you pack—like old yearbooks and photo albums, or a cringy home video—to give yourself a well-deserved break from your tireless work. Reminisce by yourself or with your family over mementos from your childhood or your kids’. Tell your husband the story of your game-winning home run when you come across your old softball mitt.

Revel in the happiness the past can bring you.

Picture your new home.

Keep your eyes on the prize as you trudge through the challenges that moving throws at you. After all, you decided to move for a reason, right? There’s your light at the end of the tunnel.

Plan a fun new interior design scheme for the extra bedroom to give yourself something to look forward to! When you’re making your third trip to Home Depot for another load of boxes, you can stop for a minute to look at the paint swatches and imagine what shade will look best in your new living room with the bay window.

If you’re moving to a new city, take some time to do a little research. Look up cool restaurants and bars, and fun activities in the area you can get excited about trying. Explore new opportunities, like good ways to connect with new neighbors or open job positions in your field if you’re not relocating for a job.

The most important thing to remember when it comes to staying positive throughout the moving process is to keep your gaze forward without looking back.

Ask for help!

Focus on what lies ahead and get inspired for a fresh start. Let the experts at Highland Moving alleviate some of your stress to give you the energy to do that.

Contact us today to secure the help you need for your move—local or long-distance—so you can focus on the bright future in front of you in your new home!