Take the stress out of moving

Tips on how to make moving easier

When you decide to move, it’s usually because you’re experiencing a major change—starting a new job, marriage, divorce. Sometimes these changes are stressful enough on their own, and adding the hassle of moving can feel massively overwhelming. Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do to take the stress out of moving into a new apartment, so take a quick read before you pack up your belongings and schlepp them across town,

Everything is easier if you plan plan plan and, plan

Let’s face it. Most big projects require planning, don’t they? You probably wouldn’t want to totally wing a big presentation to a client or your boss, and you definitely wouldn’t want your doctor to perform a big operation without doing some basic preparation, would you?

You should think about your move the same way. It’s a big deal, so you’ll want to plan accordingly. Here are some ways that good planning will yield good results:

Know your stuff

Now is the time to decide what you can sell, donate, give to friends, throw in the trash vs do you really want to pack it up and take it with you. If you have packrat tendencies now is the time to make those piles and decisions of what you will keep and what you will toss.

Come up with a packing strategy: get yourself some boxes, pack your belongings room by room, label your boxes, and don’t put too much in each one.

Know your crew

Moving is not a one-person job, so you’re going to need some other bodies to help you out. Are you going to bribe your friends with pizza and beer? Do you know someone with a truck you can borrow? Are you going to hire professional movers?

Be sure to plan out your strategy ahead of time so you give your friends plenty of warning or snag an available crew from the moving company of your choice. We’ll go into more detail on this below.

Know your plan

From what time you are getting up in the morning, when the truck will be there, whose taking care of Fido, to whose in charge of the tunes for that day – everyone will be looking to you for direction so be prepared to be the plan young jedi.

Make your move easier with good communication

Communication is essential at work, in your family life, and even during your move. Make sure everyone who is involved in your move is up-to-date on your plans and requests. Here are a few more helpful tips:

• Talk to your landlord. Hopefully, you kept your landlord happy while you were living at your current place (not too many big parties!). Now that you’re leaving, it’s important to keep them in the loop. Let them know when you’re leaving, giving your landlord plenty of notice. Ask questions about how to return your keys and when and how to move your stuff out of your unit and into the truck. Talk about inspections and security deposits and anything else that may be on your mind — or your landlord’s mind. Make a list of all the topics to cover and don’t be afraid to reach out early and often.
• Talk to your team. For this move, you’re going to be the quarterback (or the general or the director or whatever analogy you’re most comfortable with), so it’s up to you to communicate with all the other players (soldiers, actors, etc.). Make sure your friends know what time to be at your place, and what to wear/bring (comfortable clothes, gloves, etc.). Let them know how long you expect the move to take and coordinate everyone’s rides to your new place (and back to pick up any cars they left behind). Even if you’re using a big moving company, it falls on you to lay out a plan. Make sure your contact at the moving company knows your plans and, when the movers themselves arrive, confirm all the details with them, too. Best to talk about it then assume everyone knows all the details… and later find out they didn’t!
• Talk to yourself?! Well, maybe not literally (you don’t want your movers to look at you funny), but don’t be afraid to keep yourself calm in whatever fashion works for you. Take a deep breath. Go for a walk. Chug a bottle of your favorite sports drink. Run through your feed. Or play a quick game of Fruit Ninja on your phone. You’re going to feel stress spikes during your move, so don’t hesitate to take a moment for self-care. Take your own metaphorical temperature and check out for a moment. When you check back in, you’ll be more than ready to jump back into the move and tackle whatever challenges you’re facing.

Get some help

You think you don’t have a lot of stuff. It doesn’t seem like you’re moving that far. Or maybe last time you moved, it took you half a day. But no matter what your circumstances are, you’re going to need assistance. If you choose your squad wisely, you’ll have a much easier time dealing with stresses that may crop up.

• If you’re using professional movers, do your research. The more you know about their pricing policies and reputation, the more comfortable you’ll be using them. Check out their website. Read customer reviews. See if any of your friends or neighbors have used them. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask them questions! You’ll be trusting them with some of your most prized possessions, so you’ll feel better about it if you know everything about them.
• If you’re using friends and family, consider your team carefully. Sure, your great uncle may mean well when he volunteers to assist, but perhaps he’s not the best choice to lug heavy boxes down five flights of stairs. Maybe his talents can be used elsewhere — wrangling your cats or doing a drink run to keep everyone hydrated or mapping out the best route to drive to your new place. But you probably will need some friends or family members with strong arms and backs. Make sure they’re willing to listen to your instructions and take care of your belongings. Talk to them first before you sign them up to see if you’re on the same page, and keep in close communication with them during the move. A little encouragement from you can go a long way!

Take a break!

Moving can be tough on the mind and the body, and it can be a looooong process, from boxing up your belongings to settling into your new place, your move can stretch out over months (and, frankly, even the day of the move can feel like it’s dragging on for an eternity!) So, when things are getting stressful, don’t be afraid to take a break. Move around and stretch. Go get a cool drink of water. Make a quick phone call to your mom or someone else who’ll listen to you vent a little. It may be tempting to press on and on until you’re done with your move, but you won’t be put back too far by taking five minutes to yourself when you need it (just don’t take too many breaks. You don’t want your move to last into the wee hours of the morning.)

See it through

During your move, you’ll doubtless run into some roadblocks and obstacles.  That’s natural. And we get it. It’s frustrating. You want your friends to tell their grandchildren about how effortless your move was years from now. But chances are, you’re going to have problems. Someone will drop a box. You’ll run out of tape. Your moving truck driver will get lost. No matter what happens, though, keep at it. Pick that box up. Send someone for more tape. Call the driver with new directions. The important thing is to answer each setback and keep pressing on. If you can push through the problems, you’ll come out the other end with your goal: your nice, new apartment. Then, you can celebrate with your crew and imagine all the fun times you’ll have in your new place!

Moving up

A move can be stressful. It can be expensive, time-consuming, and physically exhausting. But, if you keep your goal in mind — settling into a great new place that will be your home for months or years — then you’ll be in good shape. Your planning, choices, and communication will set you up for a smooth move and you’ll be able to adapt to any stress along the way. Then, you’ll be able to crack open a beverage of your choice and put your feet up in your new home!