They say that the three things that are the source of the most stress in a person’s life are marriage, divorce, and moving. While I will not comment on the stresses surrounding marriage and divorce right now, I can tell you this, most of the stress caused by moving can be avoided with some careful planning.
However what if the stress is not because of the work involved in a move, but rather a grief at the thought of moving? Moving is not always a positive moment in life. A move may have been necessitated because of several negative reasons as well. It could be because of the failing health of a parent, a failed marriage, financial challenges, or to get a new start somewhere or a new job prospect. Even if a move is caused by a positive change in life, leaving your home and/or family can cause many people to suffer from moving blues.
Here are a few tips on how to manage moving blues and leave your sadness behind you as you relocate.
Don’t try to do it by yourself
Being alone can compound your melancholy. If you live alone, or are the only adult in your home, taking on all the responsibility of moving all by yourself can be exceedingly difficult. Instead of bearing the brunt of the work alone, consider reaching out to the people around you who might be willing to lend a hand. Having someone to lean on as you process the change on an emotional level can really help. Make sure you make time to hang out with friends and family as they can be a great source of moral support. Alternatively, you could hire movers to manage the entire operation for you. When I moved last year, I hired local Los Angeles movers who took all the stress of moving off my hands, leaving me with enough spare time to work through my issues and make peace with everything going on around me.
Meet up with your friends
While your movers take care of packing up your home, plan special visits with all your loved ones. Strengthen your bonds and remind yourself that in this day and age, moving to another place doesn’t necessarily mean letting go of your dearest friends. Social media has become a great tool for keeping in touch with everyone. You might also plan a periodic meet-up every few months where you get together. If the COVID-19 Pandemic has taught us anything, it is that friendships that mean something will last even when we are isolated from each other.
Treat life like an adventure
One way to fight the moving blues is to look ahead and try to identify all the good things that you have to look forward to. Just like you are leaving your old home behind, think of your move as a chance to leave all the old woes behind as well. Change can be a beautiful thing and sometimes bring nothing but good luck. Moving gives you a new stomping ground, a fresh place to explore, to make new friends, and have all new experiences. Don’t focus on the unnerving and overwhelming aspects of change, instead, let yourself be invigorated by it. Plan activities for the new place in advance so that you have something concrete to look forward to, and allow yourself and your family to benefit from the change.
Consider professional help for your mental health
If your moving blues keep getting darker and have you feeling like you can’t even get out of bed in the morning or function throughout the day, it may be a sign of deeper depression. Depression can be caused by any number of things, both physical and physiological. Make an appointment with a counselor, a therapist, or a psychologist. Asking for help with your mental wellbeing is not a sign of weakness, and the right professional help can make all the difference in enabling you to move forward.
Life is the name of change. Remind yourself that transitions in life are normal and that feeling sad about leaving your comfort zone is perfectly normal as well. Power through this upheaval and come out the other side being stronger for having done it.
