It is no secret that moving can come with a lot of feelings of stress and anxiety. After all, changing to a new and unfamiliar environment can be stressful in many cases.
Most people like routine and familiarity, and once they are out of their comfort zone, they can be destabilized. Change takes great mental courage, as it can be both physically and mentally draining to cope with circumstances you aren’t familiar with. As hard as it might feel, you must be ready to embrace the challenges and try to focus on the positives.
Preparing ahead of time is better for you and anyone that is involved in your move. After all, doing things in advance can ease your mind, help you get ahead, and avoid any last-minute moving day stress.
The good news is that moving without stress is possible. As a professional moving company in Toronto, Metropolitan Movers is prepared to help you overcome the challenges and reduce the stresses that come with moving.
Common Causes of Moving Stress
How stressful is moving? Consider the moving stress statistics. According to Bustle, a survey from British energy company EON revealed that, of 2,000 people studied, six out of 10 people cited moving as the most stressful life event they’ve experienced —this comes behind breakups and divorce.
Why is this? What is it about moving that causes people so much stress?
Relationships
Relationships play a significant role in moving stress, whether you are moving as a result of a relationship’s end or the start of a new relationship. For one, moving stress on marriage can be significant when you are moving and starting your life together. The good news is that, if you can make it through a big move, chances are you can make it through anything.
Moving stress on marriage can also result from new financial responsibilities and the excitement and nerves that come with starting a new life with your special someone.
Time
People are busy; they have jobs, kids, and other obligations. Moving can be incredibly time-consuming, which can be a source of stress for busy individuals moving homes.
Finances
Hiring a moving company is one of the many expenses that come with moving. Moving costs can include the upfront downpayment of a home, the expense of buying new furniture, any resulting bill increases, and more.
Ch-ch-changes
With moving often comes big changes, whether you are moving to be closer to a job, moving in with a roommate or significant other, moving out from a home or downsizing. These big life changes all come with their own set of challenges, which is why at Metropolitan Movers we are committed to alleviating any additional pressures to your move by handling the physical relocation.
Moving With Kids & Pets
The impact of pets like dogs or cats on moving stress is a real thing. Moving with kids or pets can be stressful. After all, moving is a big feat on its own without having to be concerned about the safety of a pet or child.
The good news is that these stresses can be alleviated by planning to have a pet or babysitter on the day off to reduce any additional stress.
Packing
According to New York Post, 48% of individuals surveyed for a North American Van Lines study reported that packing was the most stressful part of their move.
Packing can be a major stressor when you are moving because packing involves a lot of time, patience, and nostalgia that may play into any anxieties associated with the big change to come. By packing ahead of time, you can avoid the stresses of last-minute packing and start mentally preparing yourself for the emotions of packing away and getting rid of items.
How To Reduce & Cope With Moving Stress
There are certain factors you cannot afford to ignore if you want to reduce stress while moving. You should consider them and plan adequately ahead of time to cope better with the challenges that come with moving.
Make your address change in advance
You might have relocated and wondered why all of a sudden you don’t receive mail as much as you used to. It is important that you notify every organization and entity you do business with of your address change. Make your address change for your home or your office at least one month before moving.
When you relocate without making an address change, your chances of missing out on mail deliveries are higher as your parcels would be sent to your former home. There are millions of parcels that do not reach their intended recipients annually as a result of not making the necessary address changes ahead of a move. One option you must consider is hiring the services of a free online moving concierge.
Moving has a long To-Do list, and you can easily be overwhelmed and forget important tasks. A moving concierge helps you tackle these tasks in advance such as your address change and also helps ensure you do not forget any organizations that need to be informed. This can go a long way in reducing the stress of moving for you and your family.
Start packing your clothes that are offseason
There are lots of items to be packed while moving, so it would be better for you to start packing the items you do not frequently use in advance. Such items can include clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry, and more. Packing early can also enable you to discard the items you longer need, which can help you free up space.
The sooner you start packing the items that are off-season, the better your chances of reducing stress — especially if you’re relocating to a far distance. The good news is that you can enlist the help of our professional packing services to get this essential part of your move out of the way.
Load the packed items once your truck arrives, and finally, you should not underestimate the time your boxes will take to arrange.
Book your truck or moving company as soon as you know the date you are moving
The sooner you book your moving company, or a truck, the better for you — especially if you are moving in a period or season when there is high demand. Early booking would afford you the opportunity to look at your options and make the right choice.
It is important to book as soon as you have an official moving day date so you can start organizing your move. Plus, booking in advance leaves you time to ask all the questions you might have and understand correctly the logistics of your move, particularly if it is a long-distance move.
If you don’t book ahead of time, you will have less choice of movers — especially during high-demand periods. This is when several fraudsters may try to offer you fake services.
Clean what you can
You must always aim to clean your existing home or office ahead of time before the moving-out date. This can free some time for you to carry out other activities. The earlier you start cleaning what you can, the better for you.
Cleaning takes up a lot of energy, and you cannot afford to clean the entire property on the day of your move. You should start cleaning walls, windows, inside and above cabinets and do the rest a few days before moving. Keep what needs to be cleaned often for the end, such as bathrooms or sinks. Endeavor not to clean your old home and new home on the same day, as that can be extremely tasking and lead to fatigue.
It is important to clean up your old home before leaving, because some home contracts may require you to do so. Not doing so can put you at some financial loss, and you may also feel guilty for keeping your former home dirty.
Ask your friends for help
Everyone understands how daunting it is to move, so your friends and family may opt to render some support if you ask.
You should follow etiquette while asking friends and family members for support during your move. After all, dedicating their entire day to support you in moving is not a small task.
So how do you ask for help and ensure comfort the day of?
- Endeavor to ask them for support in advance to enable them to make adequate plans and adjust their schedule for you.
- Do let them know they would be rendering you a big favor/relief.
- Do not take it personally for those that say No. They could be tied up with other activities or not feeling healthy.
- endeavor to schedule it on a weekend, when people usually have lesser activities to carry out.
- Avoid being bossy
- Remember to provide refreshments during the activity.
Make Your Moving Day Stress-Free with Metropolitan Movers
Help alleviate the stress of moving by being aware of the challenges faced when you are moving to a new apartment. You can take adequate measures to overcome the difficulties of moving only when you are aware of them.
By putting a proper plan in place and carrying out your activities ahead of time, you can mitigate some of the challenges encountered when moving into a new home.
You should opt to book your moving truck ahead of time, clean what you can clean, park seasonal clothes and or items you do not use frequently, and also make an address change one month in advance. Contact Metropolitan Movers today to find out how we can help you facilitate a stress-free move by streamlining your moving needs.
