Making Moving Less of a Nightmare
If you have a move coming up, a sense of dread may be steadily creeping in. It is ranked as one of life’s most stressful experiences, and anyone who has done it will heartily attest to this truth.
But, this doesn’t mean the whole process has to be one big ball of misery. With some careful planning and a shift in mindset, you can make things flow a bit more smoothly. Here are just a few tips to get the ball rolling.
Accept Moving Stinks and You’ll Be the Better for It
Naturally, we prefer pleasant, easy, stress-free situations; when we encounter unpleasant ones, not only do we not feel good because of how they are challenging us, but the absence of good feelings adds an extra layer—the not feeling good makes it all the harder to deal with.
If you can get into a mindset that moving will be a huge pain in the rear, and not resist all the annoyances so heavily, you will be amazed at how much easier the process is, and how much better you handle the stresses inherent in this activity. You may still not like moving, and wish it was not such an involved task, but it will feel less intense, and you’ll power through.
Choose Movers Early and Carefully
When it comes to choosing your movers, don’t dilly dally, nor do you want to hire a company without doing your homework. Check out reviews on sites such as Yelp.com and Angie’s List. See if any complaints have been filed with the Better Business Bureau. Ensure the company has proper licensing and insurance.
Good movers can get booked early, so you want to secure a company at least a couple of months in advance, especially if you are moving during peak times, like late spring. Waiting too long may leave you with limited options. You don’t want to end up with inexperienced movers, or those who rely heavily on day laborers.
Nothing will up the stress factor of a move like a bad moving company.
Work Off a Mix of Inspiration and a Plan to Get Packed in Time
We have all had those moments when we totally felt inspired to tackle some unwanted task, and we were just totally in the zone. It didn’t feel so terrible, and we got so much done in a short span of time. Whenever you feel these urges with packing up your stuff, don’t let them go to waste!
But, also, don’t rely on these flashes of enhanced productivity to get you packed up properly and on time. You will probably also need to work packing time into your schedule to make sure it gets done. There is a lot of power in writing things down, and scheduling tasks into our day concretely, rather than letting them just swim around in our head. So, make set times where you will tend to your move—you will be amazed at how differently you approach this task.
Take Advantage of the Opportunity to Downsize
Don’t bring all your other junk to your new house. One of the best ways to get into the packing groove is a heavy dose of motivation that comes from chucking stuff that is unquestionably meant for the garbage. You’ll move fast, and it will feel great. Once you clear out a bunch of the junk, you’ll be able to proceed with other times in a more orderly fashion, and decide what you will keep, what you can give away or donate, and what you may be able to sell.
So, there you have it. A few helpful tips to make moving more manageable. Remember, don’t leave things until the last minute, and devise a plan of attack. This will keep you on track, and it won’t feel like such an overwhelming task.
Photo by Robert S. Donovan