How to Emotionally Prepare Yourself for a Move

How prepared are you for the move?

Moving entails a LOT of preparation. It’s a fact of life. But what you should remember is that preparation not only involves packing boxes and wrapping furniture. The biggest part involves some serious emotional preparation.

Here are some questions that you should ask yourself before moving:

• Do I feel confident about this decision?
• Am I comfortable with the idea of living in a new town?
• Am I ready to leave my old life behind?
• Will I be able to peacefully say goodbye to my friends and family?
• Do I feel any anger, hatred or fear?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above then for sure, you’ve got a lot of emotional planning to do.

Tips to Calm Down Your Fears

In order to be emotionally prepared for a move, you can try the following tips:

• Research the new place – In order to feel confident about relocating, you should research everything there is about the new place. Some of the things you need to know are:
  • Demographic – What type of people live in the area? Is there a predominant community, religion or organization there? What is the median age there?
  • City Stats – What is the crime rate in the area? What industries is the city or town known for? Will you be able to find work or do business there?
  • Weather – You need to prepare for sudden weather changes: clothes, car, health issues, etc.
  • Culture – Is it a predominantly conservative community? Or is it a beach town where anything goes? What do people wear? What do they do for fun? How do they greet each other? What values do they give importance to?

  It’s like going to a battle, if you know that you’re well equipped with the right tools and tactics then you’ll be much braver going into the fight.

• Get organized – The more disorganized you are, the WORSE you will be feeling. If you don’t organize a schedule and to-do list, it will only heighten your feelings of loss and fear.
  • Set a timeline for each tasks – Create milestones and use specific dates. This will help to make you feel in control.
  • Create a checklist of things to do – Crossing out the items in your list will empower you and make you feel like you’re doing things right.
  • Start your preparations early – There’s nothing worse than the feeling of cramming and fear combined. Start planning at least 2 months before your target moving date.
• Find some alone time – Get some quality time for yourself. Allot a specific time for you to analyze what’s happening and let yourself think freely. Some peace and quiet will help you to calm your nerves. It will also allow you to think clearly and identify your goals for the move. Search for your core reason on why you do need to move. You can go to a peaceful park or the nearest beach. You can even just go to your favourite cafe and drown yourself in the constant buzzing of people. Of course you can just stay in a quiet corner in your house and meditate.
• Talk to your friends family – After your alone time, seek out your friends and talk to them about this life-changing decisions. Getting advice will help to soothe you and of course, you might get great advice too. Even if you may resent the idea at first, it’s also a good idea to talk to your family. They will often have your best interest in mind and give you honest to goodness advice on what’s bothering you. Basically, find the people you love and soak in their support. Use it as fuel to push on.
• Treat yourself – Do whatever makes you feel good. Eat at a nice restaurant. Get a massage. Go to the salon. Skip your diet for a day. Indulge on a bit of shopping for your new life (or home). These simple treats will calm your crazy thoughts and soothe your senses. Moving is a very stressful time and you need all the tranquillity you can get.

One of the best things that you can do to be emotionally prepared and calm is to think about all of the positive things that moving will bring about. Whether it’s a better job opportunity, educational pursuit, or to recreate your life and start fresh, just focus on your goals and it will definitely motivate you and keep you grounded emotionally.