How to Deal with Moving Anxiety: Tips on Managing & Minimizing Moving Stress

Are you having trouble dealing with relocation anxiety? Even if you’re moving out for the first time or used to moving around a lot, it’s only natural for moving anxiety to kick in sooner or later. Whether it’s the financial cost of moving, selling your old home, or all the organization and packing needed to get through the move successfully, there’s a lot about moving that can induce stress and moving anxiety symptoms, making it a rollercoaster of emotions.

Nervous about moving? We’ve got your back. Read on for some useful tips on how to manage moving stress and keep your anxiety about moving at bay to help you get through this life-changing transition.

It’s not just the boxes – people are fragile, too. Learn how to take care of yourself when moving.

What Causes Relocation Anxiety and the Fear of Moving?

Moving can be very stressful for many reasons. However, it’s usually the lack of order, the uncertainty of things, and the upheaval that surrounds relocating that triggers stress and anxiety among most people. Moving can bring up an incredibly complex range of mixed emotions – it’s exciting, but there’s also a lot of change and planning involved. Moving anxiety is a natural result of all these emotions colliding in one chaotic package.

Moving Anxiety Triggers: Why Are You Worried / Sad About Moving?

Why do we get moving anxiety? Aren’t we supposed to feel happy and excited about starting a new life and embarking on a new adventure? After all, isn’t it what we wanted to do? As exciting as moving house can be, it can quickly leave us feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

Here are some of the most common triggers that can add up over time and consequently make us get moving anxiety or even create a fear of moving:

• Change - Human beings tend to dislike change, and moving to a new home is life-changing. Changing scenery and people you’re used to and leaving your old home behind for a completely new life isn't stress-free and will cause even the most experienced movers to suffer from some moving anxiety-induced headaches.
• Uncertainty - The unknown that comes with moving may be one of the biggest stressors in moving anxiety. You may not be familiar with or know what to expect with the new place, town, or people. So, it’s perfectly normal to be at least a bit anxious about it.
• Finances – A common dilemma that can weigh on a person's mind when moving is financial stress. Moving is expensive, as is anything relating to real estate, and money concerns can cause anxiety about moving. You have to make a down for your new home and successfully sell your old home. Not to mention it also costs money to move your belongings physically.
• Packing – Packing anxiety is one of the common stressors. Packing up all of your belongings properly and moving them to your new place intact is not exactly a walk in the park. You also won’t have access to most of your things until you get to your new home and unpack everything, which might feel like putting your life on hold.
• Planning – Moving requires a lot of planning and preparation before it’s put into motion. You often have to figure out all the details beforehand and squeeze it in between work and daily chores, which can be tiring, stressful, and cause relocation anxiety. Some may also experience decision fatigue.

Moving Anxiety Symptoms

Do you feel jittery or filled with dread whenever you think about moving? Small amounts of stress can sometimes be helpful and may even help you be more productive with the move. However, moving anxiety can quickly become unhealthy and take a toll on your mental health, so it's best not to ignore any stress or anxiety signals.

You need to know your enemies before you face them. The same goes for moving anxiety. To take the necessary steps to minimize or manage the stress you’re under due to relocation anxiety, you must learn how to recognize it. Moving anxiety is often a logical response to stressful events such as relocating your entire life, characterized by a set of symptoms similar to that of the stress of any kind.

The most common emotional, physical, and cognitive symptoms of moving anxiety include:

• Irritability, frustration, moodiness
• Feeling overwhelmed or like you’re losing control
• Racing thoughts / having a hard time relaxing and quieting your mind
• Low energy
• Headaches, upset stomach, and muscle tension
• Problems sleeping
• Constant worrying
• Forgetfulness and disorganization
• Trouble concentrating and the inability to focus

Have Anxiety About Moving Out? 5 Tips on How to Manage Moving Stress

Perhaps the idea of starting over somewhere new is your go-to escapist daydream. If you are like most people, however, when the reality of moving sets in, keeping your moving anxiety in check can prove to be difficult. We may not be healthcare professionals, but we do know a thing or two about moving home. That’s why we did a little research to offer you some valuable advice to help you alleviate all the stress that surrounds moving out of your home

Moving is notoriously stressful, but there are a few tactics you can use to keep your stress levels down. Here are some life-saving tips on reducing and managing the inevitable upswing in anxiety that comes with moving. Ultimately, each individual has their own way of dealing with moving stress, but hopefully, these tips will help make the process a whole lot easier:

1. Trick Your Mind: Make a Moving To-Do List to Reduce Relocation Anxiety

Putting your thoughts, feelings, plans, and chores on a piece of paper can be very therapeutic. A list in your head can feel like a million things – it might seem endless and daunting. But when you write it down, it becomes more realistic, more doable, and the million little things you thought you needed to do may come down to 20 things, which can help you feel more relaxed, optimistic, and productive.

Avoid getting overwhelmed by creating a checklist of everything that needs to get done before, during, and after your move. It will bring some order to the chaos of relocating and help you regain the sense of control you may feel is slipping through your fingers due to the moving anxiety kicking in. It will also feel amazing when you start checking all those “to-do’s” off your list one by one!

2. Adopting the Right Attitude Will Minimize Moving Stress

Excessive stress can make us pessimistic, causing us to lose focus and bog ourselves down in more anxiety about moving. Instead of dwelling on the negatives, try focusing on all the positives, instead. Think about the joy of meeting new people, the excitement of exploring the new area, and all the fun activities you’ll be able to experience. Explore your new neighborhood, discover the best cafés, get lost on public transit, and connect with your new community.

Feeding the right attitude and familiarising yourself with your new area before moving can help you cope with moving anxiety. When struggling with stress and wondering if you made the right decision, remind yourself that the moving process is only temporary. Do you love your home and are sad about moving? There was probably a time when your current home was new to you, too.

Allow yourself to get excited about the brave change you’re about to make and enjoy the adventures as they unfold.

3. Start Planning and Organising Your Move Early

Start early to give yourself enough time to plan your move carefully, so your moving anxiety wouldn’t be through the roof when the nitty-gritty actually starts happening. Packing is definitely nobody's idea of fun, but the move can be much simpler and the packing anxiety much less exhausting if you have some time to declutter and organize first, to have peace of mind when the moving day comes.

Get strategic. Work it all out, one step at a time. Arrange any services you’ll need early on. Half an hour of planning and packing each day outweighs trying to make it all work hectically in one weekend, which is definitely going to heighten your levels of stress and moving anxiety.

4. Reach Out and Ask for Help With Your Move

Nervous about moving? Whether you're moving out alone or relocating with your entire family, it’s important to remember that you are not alone. Seeking help and active support from your friends and family can go a long way in helping you cope with relocation anxiety, reduce stress levels, and enjoy the experience. If you need to pack your entire life in a few boxes, you might as well have fun doing it! Make moving a fun, bonding opportunity.

Of course, you can always hire professional moving services if you think it’s too much for you to handle alone. Knowing your belongings are safe and taken care of will certainly reduce your moving anxiety and stress levels.

5. Say Your Goodbyes

Moving on seems harder to do if there are still some loose ends. Saying goodbye to your beloved neighbors, friends, your favorite diners and cafes, and your old home can be emotional and difficult. Still, it’s also an essential step in moving on to a new life and getting excited instead of anxious about it. Take the time you need to say goodbye. Let your memories of your old home be ones you’ll cherish and take with you on your new adventure!

Is Selling Your Home On Your Moving Checklist? Get the Best Offer Today

Moving is an ambitious step to take and a universally stressful and anxiety-inducing experience. Selling your home doesn’t have to be.

On top of all the moving stress, there are logistical challenges involved in selling your old home like scheduling showings, the uncertainty of when or if you’ll sell, and if you’ll be satisfied with the outcome. We help you reduce moving anxiety by taking these worries out of the equation. We’re here to provide our clients with fair prices and flexible solutions that allow them to remain in control of the selling process, without feeling anxious or overwhelmed.

If the hassle of selling your house the traditional way is adding to the moving anxiety you’re experiencing, consider requesting a cash offer instead to avoid a lot of the usual headaches. It is a great alternative solution for sellers who need to move quickly. SleeveUp Homes will buy your house in the state it’s currently in for cash and pay top dollar for it. On top of that, we’ll take care of all the closing costs.

Skip staging, repairs, and showings. No strangers traipsing through your home office, no lengthy or expensive roof repairs holding up the sale. Request a no-obligation cash offer today and see what we can do for you to help you make your move as easy and anxiety-free as possible.

Author:

Zachariah Peterson , CMO /

Zach has broad experience in marketing, technology, and finance, and he has held leadership positions at multiple startups since 2017.

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