How to Get Through the Stress of Moving

Moving -- whether it be across town or across the country -- can be a cause of major stress in a household. Not only is the physical work taxing, but the tasks of organizing your belongings and possibly finding new schools, jobs or doctors can take its toll as well. Stress can cause immediate physical and emotional distress and can lead to long-term health problems. Learn to cope with your moving-day stress and take steps in the right direction to get your mental and physical health off to a good start in your new home.

Things You'll Need

• Permanent markers
• Boxes
• Good walking shoes

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Instructions

• 1

  Organize before you move to create peace of mind. Use a dark permanent marker to clearly label each box with its contents and which room it needs to be taken to. Do as much laundry as you can the week before you go to minimize the need for finding a coin-operated laundry or hooking up your machines right away. Clean your current home a week before you leave and touch it up every day. When your house is empty, it will be easier to clean.

• 2

  Create a haven as soon as you can. You will likely want to unpack and set up your kitchen and bathroom right away so you can prepare meals and bathe; tend to those rooms first. If your new apartment or home is full of boxes, however, it can be hard to unwind and relax at the end of the day, so take some time and get your bedroom ready to go at the earliest opportunity.

• 3

  Accept help if offered. If a relative wants to take your young children to the playground for the afternoon, push any guilty feelings you may have aside and let them go. If your parents want to bring you meals every day for the first week, accept with gratitude. Friends and family can lessen the burden of a move by being there to help out in any way they can, so let them if they want to.

• 4

  Start or continue an exercise routine. Working out may be the last thing you want to do after a long day (or week) of moving house, but exercise is a valuable tool that not only improves your overall health but can do wonders for your stress level. If you can't take the time to set up a new gym membership, don a pair of supportive walking shoes and go for a brisk walk around your new neighborhood or around a local enclosed mall.