How to Keep Your Sanity During a Move

We know that moving can be one of the great stressors of life even if you are moving to your dream home, in the perfect neighborhood. There are so many parts of the puzzle that need to come together in order to make the move happen. Thankfully, after years of helping families move across the state and across the country, we have a few tips to help you keep your sanity during this exciting but anxiety ridden time.

Start Packing Early

If you are a world-class procrastinator, this may be the hardest part of the move for you. Start packing your items as early as possible. Pack up items that you are not currently using first such as seasonal items, seasonal clothing, storage items, and books. Get as many keepsakes wrapped and packed before you even start to think about packing large items.

You may not think that packing will take long, but once you open up those closets you will realize that you have more possessions than you know what to do with.

Stay Focused

For many of us, moving means a growing list of things to do that is constantly running through our minds. Create a list of things to accomplish such as a list of utilities you will need to transfer, address changes you will need to complete, and packing that needs to be done. Check each off as you go.

Purge, Purge, Purge

Sometimes, our clients tell us that they get caught up in the packing because they are looking at old photos, memory items, or just trying to sort through what they feel they will need/use in the new place. We suggest purging as much as possible. Recycle, donate, or trash items that are no longer used or you have duplicates of. This downsizing of your possessions can make packing and the moving process easier.

Take Breaks

While getting the packing and all the other things on your “To Do” list completed is important, it is also important to take frequent breaks. Give your body and mind a break so that you don’t get overwhelmed and allow anxiety to spiral out of control.

Enlist Your Family or Friends

Part of staying sane during a move is having your friends or family members help you out. Assign close friends to tasks that will overwhelm you. Ask anyone and everyone who is willing to help to do so. The more hands, the lighter the work.

If you want to leave your family out of the packing chaos, consider hiring a moving company that also offers packing and unpacking services along with temporary storage or coordination of your move. Mastodon Moving does all of this! Contact us for help with your next move.