Moving house is often seen as a purely practical event - packing up
belongings, changing addresses and booking the removal company - but it's
far from being just a question of managing logistics. There's an awful lot of
emotional upheaval involved in moving house too - there's a reason why it's
considered one of life's most stressful events and it's not just about interest
rates!
In this article we'll look at just a few of the reasons why you might find
moving difficult and help you realise that it's okay to have these difficult
feelings around a relocation.
The excitement of a
fresh start
When we think about the heightened emotions around moving house,
we're thinking not just about the difficult ones, but the positive ones too.
You will likely feel a huge surge in excitement about the prospect of a move as
it's the opportunity for a new start, possibly somewhere completely new or at
the very least a new space to design and make your own.
This feeling can be incredibly satisfying and it's this excitement that will
carry you through the weeks or months of waiting and uncertainty, so embrace
it!
Source: Unsplash
The grief of
leaving behind a home
Leaving a home, especially one where significant life events occurred, can
evoke feelings of grief. You might feel like you're overreacting, that it's
just bricks and mortar, but it's so much more than that as a grief response is
totally normal. From significant events like a child's first steps to seemingly
small things like a favourite spot in the garden - all of these mean something
to us and it can be hard to let them go.
The joy of
reconnecting to lost treasures
Have you ever given yourself an hour to pack a few boxes and three hours
later you're still sat there, pouring over a photo album? It's natural that
you're going to come across items as you get organised that spark a lot of
precious memories and that's something to really look forward to. The key here
is to factor this into your planning so that you leave yourself plenty of time
to indulge in these moments without feeling guilty.
The overwhelm of
decision making
One of the most striking things about moving house is the sheer volume of
decisions that need to be made. From choosing what to pack or throw away to
tiny things like where to get keys cut, the decision-making process can be
overwhelming. When you have so much admin to juggle and so many decisions to
make, each choice can start to feel monumental and this can quickly spiral into
to decision fatigue.
Source: Unsplash
This constant need to make choices can drain emotional energy, making the
entire process more exhausting, so be prepared for it. If you have someone
going through it with you make sure you share in the decision making, either
talking through the big decisions or each taking sole responsibility for the
smaller ones.
Hopefully this has given you a little bit more insight into the moving
process. As you pack your boxes and prepare for the next chapter, remember to
give yourself grace and embrace the emotional ride.
