7 Tips for Low-Stress Moving

Moving can be one of the most stressful activities that a person experiences, and most people move at least several times during their lives. In this article, I give some suggestions on how to remove or minimize some of the stress of moving before, during, and after a move.

1. Get Rid of Unwanted Items
A move is a great opportunity to inventory what you own and pare down if necessary. The fewer unwanted or unnecessary possessions that need to be moved, the less stress you will feel, both physically and mentally. Leave yourself enough time prior to the move that you can use Craigslist, Amazon, or eBay to get rid of items of potential worth. You could make some money and avoid having to either move or throw out a functioning, yet unnecessary, appliance.

2. Get Enough Help (But Pack Yourself)
Moving goes more quickly, is less physically demanding, and can even border on fun when you have enough people to help. Moving is significantly more stressful when only two or three people are moving. To guarantee that you have people that can help you move, ask around a long time in advance (a month or more, if possible) and check in via email once per week with those that have said they can or may be able to help you move. If you feel you need more help, say that a few more people would be helpful and list those that have agreed to help you so that fence-sitters see that the moving process won't be terrible. Bribing potential helpers with food is often useful, and something like a barbecue two weeks post-move is nice because it lets helpers see the fruits of their effort.

That being said, do most or all of your own packing. It makes for a smaller time commitment on the part of your helpers and you will have a better idea of where things are when the time comes to unpack. Even if others offer to help pack, having to "oversee" their packing can be stressful. Packing gradually by yourself or within your family is often the best way to approach packing.

3. Keep Like Items Together, Unlike Items Apart
Every box should contain only items that are related to one another in some way. For example, a shower curtain, textbooks, and birthday decorations do not belong in the same box. When the time comes to unpack, specific areas can be addressed sequentially. This reduces some of the stress of moving because you can see a greater amount of progress faster and you don't have to hunt for randomly-scattered items.

4. Label Everything Descriptively
Rather than writing "Kitchen" or "Books - John" on a box, take the time to be descriptive. For example, something like "Kitchen - utensils, whisk, spatula, corkscrew, melon baller" is much better. While the time spent writing this is increased, the time it will take to find a desired item will be much less, as will the stress of hunting for the item. An alternative to this is to take a picture of a box's contents prior to packing the box, then writing an arbitrary number or symbol on the box and taking a picture of the box after packing. Then a photographic record exists of the box's identity and contents. Do what works best for you, but have a system that you stick with.

5. Have a Plan (And Backup Plans)
If you are the person moving and others are voluntarily helping you, you need to direct them in an efficient manner so that they don't feel like their time is being wasted. So you need to have a plan of what order things will be moved in, what vehicles will go to the new location and where they will park, and how larger or unusually-shaped objects will be transported. This will allow everything to move smoothly. You also need to have a backup plan in case the weather takes a turn for the worse or a vehicle breaks down. It is much less stressful to make a plan for dealing with those situations before they occur, as opposed to trying to formulate one on the fly.

6. Avoid Obligations on Moving Day
Moving is often an all-day affair, whether that is the intention or not. Don't make unbreakable plans for later in the day, as things can and do go wrong during moves. If something comes up, you'll feel a lot less stressed if you don't have to call and cancel plans. If nothing comes up, you'll feel less rushed and will feel less stressed. Not making commitments on moving day is a smart decision that can help minimize stress, worry, and guilt.

7. Unpack ASAP
Unpacking is a part of moving. Unpack as soon as you reasonably can. There is no reason for items that you use on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to still be in boxes for any longer than they need to be. Things like holiday decorations and seasonal clothing are exceptions, but try to unpack everything else. Home will feel more like home.

While it's unlikely that the process of moving will ever be completely stress-free, the above tips should help to reduce stress prior to, during, and after moving. Hopefully the moving process can be looked at as less of a daunting task and as more of a positive adventure. If you have any tips on lowering stress while moving, please feel free to share them in the comments below. Thank you for reading!