The Emotional Challenge of Moving House Trauma, and How to Deal with It
There's nothing quite like moving house - it's an emotional roller coaster full of grins and trauma. From the sheer thought of boxing up everything to reflecting on memories made, there's a lot that can leave you in tears. Find out how to deal with the trauma of moving in this post.
Moving house - there’s nothing quite like it. Nothing can have you grinning one minute and bawling the next quite like upping sticks and switching pads. From the sheer thought of boxing up every single thing you own, to realising that you’ve made some pretty incredible memories between those four walls, there are lots of things about moving that can reduce you to tears.
On the flip side, the thought of starting a new chapter and making new neighbour friends can get you feeling like you’re on cloud nine. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, to be sure, even for the hardiest and most pragmatic among us.
In fact, it’s ranked alongside divorce as one of the most stressful life events you’ll ever go through. It’s way more than just packing boxes and handing the keys over.
Depending on the circumstances of your move and the correlating life events that led to it, such as moving because of a breakup, you could well find yourself mopping up puddles of tears as you shuffle your brown boxes around.
And that’s not fun for anyone. So what should you expect and how do you go about dealing with all these emotions whilst protecting your mental health and navigating different life events all at the same time? Being the home move specialists that we are and master of all things… house move-y… we’ve put together this guide to help see you through the trauma of moving house.
Emotional triggers when moving house
The actual act of moving house - as in, all the physical bits - aren’t necessarily the cause of the anxiety that often arises when moving house, even though the idea of all the packing and hard grafting over days or even weeks can be enough to put you in a bad mood.
There are a few specific facets of moving that tend to be the root cause of the emotional turbulence we experience when making a move, and the impact they can have on a person's mental health is not to be understated. Whilst they’re unpleasant, the good news is that they’re extremely common, and things we almost all deal with when relocating to a new house.
Change
Moving house means one sure thing: change is afoot, and that’s often a change from everything you know.
Not only will your actual house be different, but the city or area you’re going to might also be new. Maybe you don’t have any friends in your new area yet, or maybe you’re going to be starting a new job; new coworkers, new daily routine.
Change can be a good thing, but it’s almost always at least slightly scary, and can lead to some anxious feelings.
Moving from friends and family members
A new environment is hard to get used to, and starting a new life at a new school or workplace, often away from your family members and friends, can be a hard thing to deal with. This change is often one of the most stressful events in the whole process and can lead to overwhelming sadness, particularly with a long-distance move.
If the sadness persists, you might find yourself struggling with loneliness which can lead to mental health issues - in that case, consider reaching out for professional advice.
Finances
Money, money, money is a big contributor to stress when moving. From the cost of renting or buying a new place, to the cost of travelling between locations and buying new furniture, it can be a real bone of contention during a house move.
Paying conveyancing fees and stamp duties, removal costs, new furniture… not having your finances in order is an incredibly stressful situation and can easily make you feel overwhelmed.
Luckily, we’re in the business of making moves manageable, and getting in touch with JMI today could help you save some cash, along with time and hassle. Let us tacle the trauma of moving house for you!
Time
Moving house takes time, and time is one thing few of us have to spare.
It requires putting other aspects of your life on pause until you’re all settled in, and that can take months. From taking time off work to putting off holidays, and maybe even not celebrating big events, moving undoubtedly creeps into other areas of your life. This in itself can cause more stress, especially if you feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day for you to spend time with loved ones, fulfil work obligations, and pack up your belongings for the impending move. Tick-tock!
The mental health effects of moving to a new house
There are lots of different symptoms you could suffer from during the moving process, some of which are related to the physical wear n’ tear side of moving (aches and pains), whilst others are related to the emotional toll it can take. These can include:
Feeling unable to focus
Finding it hard to make decisions
Being unorganised
Worrying a lot of the time
Having a negative mindset
Anxiety
Feeling stressed
Some people also experience something known as relocation depression. This occurs when you feel extreme sadness after moving. This is more common in people who are moving due to emotional circumstances, such as going through a breakup, but it can happen to anyone.
Some of us feel happy when we move - maybe it’s the first time, or we’re moving in with someone new, but some people feel sad or nervous because they don’t know what’s going to happen next. This can make you reminisce on past events and, in extreme cases, result in relocation depression. If this is the case for you, it’s a good idea to speak to a GP about how you feel.
Coping with moving house trauma
Although nothing will be able to stop you from feeling the emotions you feel, there are a couple of steps you can take to reduce moving stress and tap down the anxiety associated with a house move. Some of the handiest tips for moving home include:
Research
If you’re moving to a new location that you’ve never lived in before, it’s a good idea to research things like local clubs you might be able to join, social venues you could visit, and the proximity to your new work or place of education.
You might enlist the help of family members to help you with this; why not go ahead and make a night of it? Hang out with some loved ones, have a few drinks and snacks and chat the evening away while everyone focuses on pulling info on one aspect of your new hood.
Whilst it’ll take you a little while to learn the ropes of your new neighbourhood, if you have a brief idea of where things are and what’s about, it should make it a little less daunting and help your new house feel like a safe space faster.
Make a list
There are a thousand and one things to do when moving house, and it’s impossible to remember them all off the top of your head. It’s far easier to make a list of things you need to do. It could also be handy to put dates you want to have them done by.
For example, you might want to write down ‘sort out internet and TV’ and have a set date to get existing contracts terminated and new ones set up. Having things written down can make you feel more accomplished (one of the most positive feelings) and ensure you’re not forgetting too much. It can also allow you to tackle the most stressful tasks first.
Try and stay positive
Life is all about making the most of what you have; moving is no exception. Sure, right now it might feel rubbish that you’re leaving behind your friends, but those friendships aren’t ending just because your house is changing - you guys will keep in touch, right? Plus, you’re sure to make new friends along the way.
Equally, long-distance relationships can definitely still be fulfilling, rewarding and workable. Even if you’re naturally a glass-half-empty kinda person, for your own sake, try to see the good sides of the changes that come when moving house. The right attitude can make all the difference. Think of this as a bold step and a new beginning.
Enlisting the A-Team: home moves, the JMI way
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and trying to move house without help can be enough to tip anyone over the edge into full meltdown mode.
There’s no shame in asking for help if you're feeling overwhelmed. If you don’t have friends or family available to help you, or if you’re finding yourself stretched from pillar to post, enlisting the help of the home move masters can be a great help.
At JMI, we are bonafide experts in making moving more manageable. We’re pros at helping movers get a shimmy on, and giving you the headspace not to worry about the logistics of moving. You can trust us to make sure your move comes off like clockwork, and our home setup service can help to take away all the stresses involved with towing your possessions from point A to point B.
Get in touch with us today to chat with our team and find out more about how we can help to relieve some of the stress of moving house.