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Stressed About Moving? Use These Coping Tips

Tuesday, April 25, 2023
A stressed out woman sitting down with her arms and hands covering her face doing breathing exercises

Are you looking for a way to convert the stress of moving into a stress-free moving experience? Then you have browsed to the right page. Here we will dive into why moving is so stressful, how to see the signs, and most importantly how to cope with moving stress.

Why Is Moving So Stressful

A man outdoors with his head in one hand, feeling stressed because of the moving process gone wrong

Moving is stressful regardless of how much experience you have and how many moves you have made. There is a lot of organization involved in planning a move from the day that you want to move out, finding a moving company, making a budget, planning your packing, and more. While this is stressful, there is also the emotional stress of moving.

You would be uprooting your belongings and life from one place to another. These can vary depending on where you move to. If you are moving down the road, you may still have emotional stress of moving, but it may not be as much. Certainly, when compared to moving to a new country with a new culture, and language that you do not yet know. It is all the concerns that you have even if you are not aware of them. This is why moving is stressful even if you have moved around a lot.

Furthermore, there is also the chance that “something can go wrong” from breakdowns, forgetting something, customs, and even hidden moving costs. So, “how stressful is moving?” Quite stressful and more so if you plan badly.

Part 1: How to Recognize Moving Stress

A woman in a field enjoying the stress free time in nature

Emotional stress of the moving process can negatively influence your mental health. It can cause anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, getting angry, lack of sleep, and even depression. Feeling these emotions is normal and everyone goes through them. The idea of uprooting your life from one place to another can bring about a lot of emotions, even if you are extremely excited about it.

However, you should recognize symptoms of emotional stress of moving as soon as possible. Furthermore, if you are feeling low or have any type of “negative” emotions, it is best to speak to a professional and get help straight away before it gets worse.

Stress Symptoms

A close up of man journaling during his moving process to let go of moving stress

Depression and moving stress are often linked together and a few of the ways you can see it is by noticing the change in your behavior. Likewise, you should listen to your friends and family who point it out to you. They are helping you out since a lot of the time people do not notice their own symptoms. Some signs are:

  • Loss of interest in hobbies and what you like to do. This can be connected to your lack of time due to the moving process, but if you do not miss doing your hobbies then there may be an issue.
  • Lack of sleep or even extended sleep.
  • Suicidal thoughts.
  • The want to take drugs, drink more alcohol, overeat, and damage your body and mentality.
  • Just feeling like something is off within yourself.

There is also a physical side of depression which is fatigue (hence the sleeping too much), nausea, headaches, low energy, having an upset stomach, and chest pains. Other physical manifestations of depression can also be rapid heartbeats, short breaths, an increase in pain and aches, as well as infections, or illnesses. And even shaking can be a symptom.

Memory Issues

A woman on her vacation taking a walk outdoors on a pier while holding up a chinese inspired red umbrella

Another sign of moving stress induced depression (or depression in general) is memory issues. Such as the ability to process and maintain autobiographical memory. Signs that you may have these symptoms are:

  • Finding it difficult to focus.
  • Impaired judgment.
  • Loss of time.
  • Low or lacking organization skills.
  • Forgetting things.
  • Always worried and having a more negative attitude.

If you feel anything like the above mentioned or anything that is out of the ordinary in your current life you should seek out advice from a professional to help you cope. We will give some tips, but it is always best to speak to a trusted professional.

Moving to a new country or anywhere can trigger depression and you would have to try to figure out what exactly is the trigger. Therefore, speaking to a therapist is the best way to go, or you can speak to someone you are really close to who understands and “gets you.”

Part 2: How to Deal with the Stress of Moving

A man sitting outdoors and playing his guitar to relax

To help you cope with moving stress you should first accept that what you are feeling is completely normal. Everyone feels it one way or another. Another way is to speak to your friends and family about how you feel and if needed to a professional from whom you can get medical feedback. Furthermore, if you are having sleep difficulties either too much or too little you can seek out a sleep specialist to help you develop coping methods. 

Basically, notice the stress symptoms as soon as you can and take action in combating them before they take over.

You can also learn relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, etc. During your moving process, you should schedule breaks to get yourself in order and relax. You do have enough time. Also, think of the positives of moving to a new place: the people, environment, new friends, new job, new school, and new adventures waiting for you to take part in. Hype yourself up for the move.

Plus, saying goodbye can also help you cope with the stress of moving. Saying goodbye to your current home can help open the door (mentally) to your new one. Even if you have to say it out loud it can help you mentally close the door with positive thoughts and excitement.

Tips for a Stress-Free Moving Experience

Three women blowing confetti from their hands towards the camera on their move-in party

Planning and starting early is one of the best things you can do to combat moving stress. Deal with it before it hits you by planning now. Decide when you have to move, research and find the right moving company to work with if need be, and make a schedule of when to pack what. Starting early is the best way to reduce stress since it will give you more time in case something comes up that you have to handle. And, less time can mean more stress so more time can mean less stress. If only it were that easy. Start from your move-out date and plan backwards.

Make a schedule of what you will do and when. When will you pack which room? When will you get the packing materials? What day will you research and find your moving company? How will you pack? Etc. Making a schedule will require you to answer the questions of what, when, how, and even why. Such as “why are you moving that item?”. This planning will help lower your stress levels since you will be prepared. Also, be open to if or when the plan changes.

Plan first and part of your planning should include sorting out your items. Such as what you will keep, donate, sell, give away, etc. This will help you narrow down what items you need anew and what you will be moving with. Furthermore, it can also help you lower the cost of the move.

The best way to cope with moving stress is to try to relax, look at the positives, and speak to a professional if need be.

How to Make Moving Less Stressful with Shyft

A woman standing next to a black fence of her new building with a colorful wall behind her

If you are stressed about moving, one of the best ways is not only the tips that were mentioned above but also to have a professional organizer by your side. And, you can with Shyft. Shyft is the world’s first tech-driven moving platform that organizes corporate and personal moves. Plus, it will not break your wallet using us. It can even save you some money.

We will organize your entire move for you to get the stress off your back so that you can look forward to the new adventure in your life. All you have to do is visit our site at Shyft Moving site to learn more. It is also here that you can get in touch with us by filling out a short form with your moving details. Then, our magic will start.

One of our Move Coaches will get in touch with you at the time that you say. Therefore, we will create our schedule around your free time. This is a video call that is done through the easy-to-use, and free-to-download app known as Shyft Next. This app will let you communicate and see your Move Coach who is there to help you with every step of your stress-less moving experience.

Furthermore, it is also during this initial meeting that your Move Coach will create your inventory for you. All you have to do is give them a virtual tour of your current home and show them the inside of a drawer. Find out more on the site or by getting in touch with Shyft.

This inventory list will be 95% accurate and it will be sent to you within half an hour from the end of the initial call. Here is where you can make your 95% accurate inventory list 100% by adding items or removing them. You can also add notes on certain items if need be. This list will be sent to your Move Coach, and they will present this list along with only your moving information to the Shyft secure moving board.

The information does not include your personal info.

More About the Moving Board and Shyft Experience

This particular moving board is where experienced and Shyft-approved moving companies come to bid on moving projects. Your move can join the list. After the bidding war, we will collect three or more moving quotes from three or more different moving companies. Each quote is from a different mover.

You will get the quotes as well as information about the different moving companies. There are local and international movers present in the bidding war. Plus, all the moving quotes that are sent to you are fixed. There are no hidden costs at all. Therefore, you pay what you see. So much so that if you change something on your inventory list then it will not affect your budget.

What is more, is that you can contact us whenever you want a check-in, ask questions, or even get some advice. We are on call to you seven days a week to make your move as stress-less as we can. Also, if you are looking to buy new items such as furniture, or you are in the market for finding storage, or are on the lookout for certain types of services, then you should check out our secure and big marketplace: Home & Lifestyle.

All the items in this marketplace come with a discount, and physical furniture, etc. are delivered directly to your new home, not the current one. Therefore, you will also save some money on the moving process since you would not have to account for your new item.

Get in touch with Shyft today and start your moving process with a stress-less and even stress-free moving experience. All while having a helping hand (Shyft) by your side and saving some money.

A woman smiling on her balcony as she successfully moved in

Move Long Distance Stress Free With Shyft