Whether it be out of necessity or due to purchasing a new housing unit, let’s face it, moving can be fun and a hassle at the same time. Quite often it involves life-changing transitions such as going to college, marriage or leaving your hometown. You are to make important decisions on a daily basis in order to avoid any mishaps and ensure you’ve got everything covered. When you come to think about it, no wonder it can even take a toll on your health, your family, and social life. Do moving anxiety and post-moving depression ring a bell? Both of these are real-life mental health conditions which tend to kick in before, during and/or after relocation. Although it may sound terrifying, this moving-related stress makes perfect sense, so let us elucidate it in more detail. What is it all about and how can you give yourself a peace of mind?
What is moving anxiety and how it can affect you?
For those of you who are not familiar with anxiety disorders, simply put, they are characterized by extreme and constant fear and worry which may even lead to panic attacks. The thing with anxiety is that it can prevent us from carrying through with our day to day tasks. Driven by fear of failing or being evaluated negatively we tend to feel overwhelmed, apprehensive and sometimes even hostile. In a world that is immensely technology-driven and everything is happening super fast, we always have the impression that we are behind schedule.
No matter at which point you’re reading this – if you’re having an upcoming, ongoing move or you’ve recently completed one – moving anxiety must have already shaken you. People often have a sensation of feeling boxed in even when the boxes have already been unpacked. However, in order to cope with the anxiety of transition, you should have some notion with regards to how it manifests.
Anxiety transition symptoms: recognizing the signs
Maybe it’s the packing process that terrifies you. Not just sorting out your belongings, but also deciding on what to keep and what to toss out. It could be that you haven’t made a checklist so you’re feeling a bit lost and disoriented wondering if you’ll remember to do everything you planned. Or it’s the fear of unloading the burden into the new premises that has overwhelmed you. Feeling weary and uncertain about the times to come is normal at this point. Moving home is a breeding ground for all sorts of negative emotions to emerge.
However, before we give you a couple of tips on how to deal with moving anxiety it’s important that you learn to identify the symptoms beforehand, be it in your case or in the case of another family member having hard times dealing with this experience. Those can be mental signs:
- Non-stop tension, extreme worry and not being able to relax
- Unjustifiable concern and disquiet
- Upswings in uncertainty and indecision
- Lack of focus and social isolation
Also, moving stress can cause a variety of physical symptoms such as:
- Insomnia
- Sleep and eating disorders
- Fast heartbeat
- Excessive sweating and muscle tension
Keeping moving anxiety at bay: tips and techniques
This all goes to show that moving can be quite an ordeal. But enough with the bad news! Our attention is not to frighten nor discourage you, quite the opposite. We get you and therefore want to advise you on how to bring these negative feelings under your control. The most effective way to lower your anxiety levels is by following these simple steps:
- First things first. – Prioritizing your tasks will make everything a lot simpler and checking off all the things you have done will provide needed calm and satisfaction.
- Create a to-do list. – This way you will have a clear idea of what you need to get done during the move and ensure you’re not running late.
- Toss out useless items. – Lightening your load will have a positive effect on your state of mind. Refrain from clinging to junk as it can occupy your space unnecessarily.
- Reuse, recycle, reduce. – A new beginning is a great opportunity for forming a good habit. This is an amazing chance to go through the things cluttering your boxes and reflect on how you can be part of the community and help out both the needed and your environment.
Don’t forget to breathe
Many proven techniques created to reduce the severity of the majority of stress symptoms. The good part is you can take advantage of them in a number of other nerve-racking situations. So whenever you notice an upswing in anxiety that won’t diminish, make sure you:
- Take breaks. – there’s no point in tiring yourself out. Remember to rest!
- Eat well, sleep well. – if these vital patterns get neglected, you will probably feel exhausted all the time and therefore, incapable of being productive. Also, it would be great if you could avoid processed food in that period.
- Exercise regularly. – OK, maybe regularly is out of hand, after all, you’re in the middle of a moving process! But still, a bit of yoga or a 10-minute run in the park can make you feel refreshed and relaxed in no time.
- Breathe deep. – Just inhaling and exhaling focused for a while can do wonders for a stressed out person. And that you can do anywhere, take a time for yourself, close your eyes and even better, imagine a wild beach, or any other comforting image and let go of everything for a fraction of time.
We are all different and thus react according to our needs and desires, so pick your favorite method, try it out, and believe us, whichever you choose, it will work like a charm.
Ever thought about hiring moving professionals?
There is one particular way not to let the moving process get the best of you. And as all the best solutions, it’s simple and elegant: why not hire a professional moving company? Not only will expert movers save you time and money, but most importantly it will save you from all the worries. They have an adequate equipment, experience, and expertise, the three Es which guarantee your removal will be hassle-free.