You’ll notice that I didn’t say “stress-free relocation” because I don’t think such a thing exists. But I do think there are some things that can significantly lessen the amount of stress that a typical move to a new place can bring.
Harness the Right Frame of Mind
Moving under the wrong kind of thinking is more stressful than anything I am aware of. There are many reasons why people take action. Some do it because they want to and for career reasons, while others are compelled to do it due to circumstances. Now it’s simple to link the higher level of stress to the second category of movers, but that’s not always the case. Whatever the reason, moving comes with a large and occasionally very specific set of stresses.
The “stressing” about a move in the most practical sense should be completed and dealt with prior to the actual move. Before the actual move, it is usually best to handle the self-questioning and rationalizing about moving separately. Please don’t get the impression that I’m saying moving is simple or should be handled in a careless manner because it isn’t and shouldn’t be. The stress of the remaining relocation process will increase almost exponentially if there is uncertainty or self-doubt regarding the reasons for the move.
Whatever the reasons are for your move, take care of them first. Regarding your motivations for moving, be sincere with yourself. Once you’ve made your choice, stick with it. When we have in our thinking, clear understanding of present, not future circumstances that the move will happen, and in our mind the issue is settled, we can then position ourselves to deal with the relocation process as nothing more then a series of tasks to be completed
If you think I’m a fool and that this is a big crock of something that smells awful, don’t stop reading just yet. Listen to me out on this one. When everything is said and done, it might just be the kind of thing that makes a lot of sense.
Who has access to the future? For God, nobody can speak. Why then worry about it? Plan for it, yes, but don’t worry too much about it. Everybody has plans, whether they be for their marriage, their career, their children, or their retirement, and these are generally good things. Even if it deviates from one of our main life plans, moving is or should be nothing more than a task to be completed in a larger plan.
The two factors that contribute the most to stress during a move, which have little to do with the actual move, are an inability to trust in our judgment or a fear of the unpredictability of future events. However, we allow the process of moving to be the main source of uncertainty, anxiety, and fear, and then we wonder why it’s so difficult for us to deal with the problems that arise during the actual move. Here are some illustrations of what I mean.
“What happens if moving to the new town to accept the new job doesn’t work out? Or we might think, “We need the space, so I hope moving into the bigger house is the right decision.” One may approach a move in this way from a different perspective. “I don’t want to move the family, but we must make cuts in order to save money in light of all the downsizing and the resulting new expenses.”
Due to uncertainty or unresolved issues in both of the aforementioned scenarios, two of them are examples of stressful moves that are just waiting to happen. Despite the fact that the first two examples’ indecision have nothing to do with moving, they have made the act of moving itself the source of their fear. However, it clearly establishes the move as a process stemming from a conscious decision. The third also has nothing to do with the moving process.
In the first illustration, the process of shifting the dubious focal point has been made. “What happens if moving to a new town to start a new job doesn’t work out?” The individual’s choice to accept the new job in the new town should actually be the contentious point of focus. Here is where the focus should be. When a move is made in uncertain circumstances like these, it will almost always be a high-stress move where any minor hiccup will be exaggerated into a monster obstacle.
Make the choice to accept the new position, and have confidence in your ability to handle any challenges you may face there in the future. Remove the element of fear from the actual move so that it can become what it ought to be: a tool for making decisions and a task to be finished in order to carry out your plan. The second statement would also be consistent with the same idea.
The third statement, however, is quite different when it comes to the downsizing issue. Despite having a slightly unfavorable vibe, it creates a good foundation for a move. The choice to relocate has already been made. It might not be the choice a person would have preferred to make, but the fact remains that the choice was made in this case, which puts the action in proper perspective as a tool to complete the process established by the person’s very deliberate decision.
In all of this remember “Moving” or “Relocating” is a process begun from a decision made, it should not be the focal point of thinking in the decision process. Moving is a tool we use to make our life plans come true. I am not aware of any moving advice that will be more useful. If you are unsure of why you are moving in the first place, all of the packing, sorting, and loading advice won’t be worth much.
Don’t worry about the actual move after you have determined why you want to relocate. Let it be what it is—a list of things to do. God Bless and like Larry the Cable Guy says “Get er done”.