Moving puts a strain on your family’s emotional and financial life, drains energy and can create stress, if it is not planned well.

Don’t put it off – start sooner – not last minute – Start with a plan!

A natural human tendency is to put off what you don’t want to deal with or are not good at, just like taxes; nobody likes it, but everybody has to do it and the same can be said for moving. A busy mind tends to keep focused on the task at hand: planning and packing can create some exhilarating expectations of the future. Waiting until the last minute creates undo stress and tends to produce an experience that is emotionally draining and physically more exhausting than it should be. You start to focus on the questions and not the answers: Will things go well?  Will you be able to successfully meet the challenges in front of you?  Moving always takes time and effort. It takes a bit of to deal with a new community, friends, and schools. Remember, everyone in the family will be affected by the move and keeping busy is the best possible.

• Have a plan.
• Get help from Friends and Family
• Keep realistic goals
• Don’t worry about the small stuff.
• (Oh, everything is the small stuff)
• When emotions run high, try to get busy and keep focused – light a scented candle – play your favorite music.
• Remember, just because you are moving, does not mean that old relationships cannot continue.
• Let people know that they are appreciated and that they matter to you.
• Be open to new circumstances.

TIP: Make small steps – but make progress - Having four out of ten cabinets empty in the kitchen will help you to feel like you have been productive and don’t have as much to do in the future and will lessen the overall intensity of the big job.