We are in the middle of moving to a new state and there is A LOT to be done. Every time I think I have it all on my little note checklist on my phone, I wake up in the middle of the night with another thought.
If you have ever sold a house you know that can be super stressful too and it seems like everyone in the world is walking through your house, criticizing things, touching your stuff, and even asking if they can buy your personal items. It can be a bit crazy. It feels like you have a sign up in your living room that says “people crossing” LOL.
Then there is the search for a new home. Where will you be happy? Where will your family be happy? Is it an interim place to find your dream home or are you moving into your dream home?
So many things can be exhausting…but they don’t have to be.
Here are my tips for keeping your cool and your health during a move:
Write lists – I love lists. I have the chroma notes app on my phone and I love it. I can make lists or checklists. Checklists are my absolute favorite because I can check things off and see what I have accomplished…especially on those days where I have been doing a million things and feeling like I haven’t actually accomplished anything LOL. Lists will help you get all the stuff in your head out and make sure that you get done what you need to. There is a lot to remember and you don’t want to rely on your wonderful brain to remember it all. Give your brain a break;)
Time chunks – While moving I am still working full time. While I work from home and it makes it way easier to do things for moving during the day I still have to make sure I stay on task with whatever I am doing. So I time chunk. I write out my work projects for the day and I set up a schedule something like 8am-11am client projects, 11am-1pm pack and lunch, 1pm-3pm client work, 3pm-5pm football practice for my son and moving stuff…etc. through the evening until about 9pm when I wind down for the night. Then I set a timer on my phone. When I am working on client projects that is my focus. When the timer goes off I take 5 minutes to shift gears and start on the next task at hand.
Go with the flow – Things happen on the daily that can make the air in your happy balloon deflate. Maybe the house you are interested in is off the market suddenly, or you have your house inspection that runs longer than you planned and you lose work time or your kid misses practice because you couldn’t leave the house. Maybe you wake up with your plan for the day and things just don’t happen that way due to sudden issues that come up. The best thing to do is take a deep breath and regroup. Maybe that means giving yourself a timeout with a cup of coffee and some good tunes that will make you happier. Maybe it is taking a day off from everything and going out for the day to explore a new place with your child. (Remember they are super stressed during this all too so you need to make it better for them too.) Just know things don’t always go as planned and soon you will be settled in your new place and back to your new normal but for now it is an opportunity to practice your willingness to change.
Hydration/healthy snacks – It may be hard to have sit down meals and you may be on the go a lot but make sure you stay hydrated and keep a bottle of water with you at all times and if you are going to be snacking try to keep it as healthy as possible. We all need the chocolate bar from time to time, just don’t make it your regular snack.
Get rest – No matter how hard you try you can’t get everything done in a day. Don’t beat yourself up thinking you have to stay up late at night to keep going. Get to bed at a decent hour. Tomorrow is another day. You won’t be any good to anyone if you are run down and exhausted. You will actually get less done!
Rely on friends – Your friends will keep you upbeat. They will be there for you to complain to about things, and laugh with about other things and if you are feeling down they are there to pick you up. When you have no furniture in your house they will invite you over to theirs…and they would also be perfectly happy to sit on your floor with you…because that is what friends do;)
Have fun – This is a stressful and overwhelming process at times but if you can find some area of fun in it all that is the key. Have fun going through your stuff as you pack and getting rid of what you don’t need. Have fun looking at places to live and exploring the areas. Make the experience fun and it will be.
I hope these tips help you if you are in the middle of a move or planning one in the future. And don’t hesitate to reach out to anyone you know that may need this and send them to the blog.
Choose to make every day fun and exciting. There is always something that can brighten up even the darkest day and when you start to focus on shifting your mindset to find that one thing, you will be surprised at how many more you find also.