5 Ways To Take The Stress out of Moving

Moving can certainly be stressful, as there are so many things to think about and organize, on top of actually starting a new phase of your life. So is there anything that you as an individual can do to prepare for a move in order to avoid unnecessary stress? Good news - in fact – there is! We have performed a deep dive into the topic and come up with 5 valuable tips that are easy to follow. Some of them are related to mentality, some are more practical, and some may even come as a surprise.

Humans constantly experience different emotions. Hormones are what triggers them. The feeling of stress is closely associated with the hormone Cortisol (which is why it is called the “stress hormone”). The effect is meant to be positive: If you experience some stress, then you feel more alert and you gain extra motivation and power to get things done. Therefore, our rule number one would be: If you experience a little stress, then this is normal and absolutely nothing to worry about! It is the wake-up-call that your body is giving you in order to get you organized and start getting your removal done.

Remember that you are not in a unique situation and are certainly not the first individual that is preparing for a move. In fact, EU residential mobility has been increasing over the course of the past decade (despite being slowed down by effects such as the Covid-19 pandemic). There is a fully-developed logistics industry that exists around moving which is here to help you. Many companies have compiled valuable information and straightforward advice. One example is this European Removals Checklist by SMOOVER, a modern removal service company which has managed to build a strong reputation among expats across the continent.

When it comes to efficiency, management literature is a good source of information. According to sources like Harvard Business Review, when thinking about change, focus on individual tasks more than on broad feelings. Breaking a removal down into smaller steps and tasks is not only helpful, but also reduces the stress to a level that is acceptable for you. Many people are overwhelmed with the many things to do: Fixing a removal date, getting rid of unnecessary stuff, buying enough boxes, packing all the goods into boxes, … and so on. The good news: professional removal companies are not only providing trucks and doing the heavy lifting. Instead, they take complete care of all the organization around your move. Structured online forms and individual moving coordinators are there to guide you through the whole process.

Does tip number 3 mean that you are not supposed to talk about your feelings? Not at all! If you experience a period of elevated stress or even panic, it helps to call a good friend or close relative. Choose someone you know that will first listen and only afterwards react. Tell this person how the cold weather added to the difficult parking at the supermarket and how the unfriendly cashier was the final straw. If you manage to laugh about the situation together this would be a perfect example of social bonding. Your reward is of course deepened friendship, but also Oxytocin – one of the “happiness hormones” at work in your body. And Oxytocin works as a stress regulator.

Moving to another country means change and change means stress. This is something normal. There seem to be some parts of our brains that are good at connecting “change” to “negative”. But there is a chance to see things differently. Throughout the web, there is observable proof that the experience of starting over new can bring out the best in people. Take the many expat bloggers as an example: They seem to have used their blog-writing as a coping mechanism, as a way to consciously go through the stages of arrival: From Honeymoon period to frustration to adjustment and finally acceptance. Meanwhile, some of them transformed themselves into successful consultants for relocation matters. That demonstrates how in every new beginning, there lies an opportunity.

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