Making the Move

By Liberty D. Riley, Reach Therapist Intern

Moving is stressful. Whether you’re moving across town, across the state, or across the country, there is no getting around it: moving is stressful. From trying to hook up the dryer, to figuring out how to organize your food pantry, there are certain tasks that tend to be relationship testers. The good news is that there are ways to reduce the stress involved with moving.

Plan: The best way to alleviate relocation stress is to plan ahead. Try to allow yourself enough time to create and effectuate a well-thought out moving strategy.  Get together with your loved one, have a meeting of the minds, and gather together a list of tasks that must be accomplished to make the move a success. (Which utilities need to be turned on/off and when? Who will be available to let the cable person come in and hook up the internet? Who will order the U-Haul?)

Prioritize: Another way to help alleviate stress is to prioritize what must be done vs. what can be done later.  The utilities must be turned on in order to be able to function and be warm in your new home (that’s a priority!). Having the internet hooked up so one can surf the web can likely be done later.

De-clutter: One way to make sure your move is a success is to de-clutter. No one wants to move two boxes of old newspapers and junk mail to the new place; it’s too labor intensive and a waste of good back strength! Before the move, go through each room and get rid of the junk. Pare down. Toss what isn't needed, sentimental, or useful.

Organize: Once the clutter is gone, you can more clearly assess the situation, see what needs to go with you, and decide about how many boxes you are actually going to need. Completing this task room by room helps avoid feelings of being overwhelmed, and when each room is done, the feelings of accomplishment help promote forward progress.

Self-care: The most important thing to take care of in a move (big or small), are the people involved. If children are a part of the move, make sure they feel that they are an integral part of what is happening, and that any feelings of sadness are recognized, validated, and tended to. As for the adults, make sure to take the time you need to de-stress, relax, and just be with the people you love.

If your relationship has been tested by a move or any other major life event, please contact the Pfeiffer Institute Reach at (919) 941-2900. We will help get you moving in the right direction.