Moving Checklist and Tips for a Stress-Free Move

Moving Checklist and Tips for a Stress-Free Move

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Moving is one of the most stressful things you can go through! That’s why it is important to take care of yourself during this transition. Pay a little extra attention to self-care. If you don’t already have a self-care routine in place, this is the perfect time to get one established.

Between the packing and planning and expenses, it’s no wonder moving is consistently ranked as the most stressful life event. And as we know from the Journal of Psychosomatic Research -Holmes & Rahe Stress Assessment, going through a lot of changes in a short period of time (a year) can wreak havoc on your health.

Having relocated six times in the last five years (we're currently in Colorado Springs!), I feel like somewhat of a moving expert. And now, you can benefit from my experience; in this post, I’m going to share some helpful tips on moving out of state to make the whole process easier.

Download this printable Moving Checklist Bundle PDF and start organizing your move!

What Makes Moving So Stressful?

Identifying the cause of stress is the first step to mitigating it. When you can identify your likely stressors, you can then manage them proactively.

So, why is moving so stressful? Of course, the answer to that differs from person to person, but here are some common reasons for moving stress:

-Financial constraints

Moving can be expensive, especially if you’re making a cross-country move like I did.

The average cost of a long-distance move is around $5,000 but it can be anywhere from $2,400 to $15,000 depending on various factors such as whether you hire movers or tow a vehicle. And that’s not even including other expenses like storage, moving supplies, and travel fees.

If you’re not careful, all the little things can add up to a lot! So, setting a budget for moving costs and keeping track of your expenses is crucial.

-Time constraints

Preparing for a move is time consuming. And if you have a set move-in date, the clock is ticking – no extensions. The stress of that alone could be paralyzing!

But now is not the time to procrastinate. You’ll want to leave yourself plenty of time to get everything done. Use the pressure to help you focus and prioritize, but don’t let it overwhelm you.

The single most important thing to do when it comes to reducing the stress of your move is making a Moving Checklist. Seeing on paper all the things you have to get done helps you stay organized and ensures that nothing important slips through the cracks.

As you tackle the tasks one by one, you can then cross them off the list and feel a sense of accomplishment. Celebrate these little wins!

-Disruption to Routine

You’ll probably have to prepare for the move while maintaining your everyday activities such as going to work, exercising, taking care of kids, etc. These moving preparations can disrupt your normal routine, especially as the moving date draws closer.

There will also be a period of adjustment once you get to the new place. So, it is important to safeguard your well-being during this time.

Moving is actually a great opportunity to increase your resilience. You will come out on the other side of this move – and when you do, you will be stronger and better equipped to cope, adapt, pivot, bounce back, and overcome all of life’s challenges.

-Change/Fear of the Unknown

One of the scariest things about moving is leaving behind beloved family, friends, and places. Even if you know that you’re moving in order to elevate your life, fear of the unknown can be unsettling. Mindset is especially important when it comes to this.

If you feel scared, try and shift that feeling to one of curiosity. Instead of, “I’m scared of what the future holds”, try thinking, “I’m curious what the future holds.” You’re still uncertain, just without a negative bias. Curiosity leaves open the possibility for something wonderful to happen.

This reminds me of the powerful question that Mel Robbins invites us to ask ourselves – what if everything works out?

Fear-based thinking often involves thoughts like, “what if something goes wrong with the move?”, “what if I can’t get a job?”, “what if the children don’t like their new school?”, “what if the pets aren’t happy in the new place?”

Instead of allowing those thoughts to take root, replace them with, “what if everything works out?”. And then really ponder that. Envision everything working out exactly as you want it to and feel the feelings that come with it.

-Labor & Logistics

Moving can be physically and mentally demanding, especially if you don’t hire help. Packing up all your belongings and organizing everything from boxes to appointments requires effort. And once you get to your new place, there’ll be the logistics of getting settled in.

Don’t underestimate the toll that this can take on your physical and mental health. Prioritizing yourself and making time for self-care is crucial for a smooth transition.

Tips for an Easier Out-of-State Move

Relocating anywhere requires a lot of planning and organization – even more so when it comes to long-distance, out-of-state, or cross-country moves. Here are some of my hard-won moving tips to help you be better equipped for your adventure!

Have a plan

Planning is the single best thing you can do to reduce stress. This is because through a process called “proactive coping”, you can prevent stress from building in the first place.

A lot of times, we’ll get overwhelmed because we don’t realize how many stress factors are actually present or how long we’ve been under stress.

By planning ahead (and using your Moving Checklist), you are in a better position to assess risks and tackle potential issues while remaining flexible enough to embrace serendipitous occurrences. Simply knowing what your goals are and how you plan on accomplishing them goes a long way towards alleviating stress.

Start early

There’s nothing worse than being pressed for time, especially when it comes to something as important and complex as an out-of-state move. That’s why you’ve got to leave yourself enough time to get everything done.

I started prepping for my most recent move 2 months out –and I’m so glad I did; this was our smoothest and most organized move yet!

Overestimate time & expenses

One thing I’ve learned throughout my six moves in five years is that you should overestimate two things:

-the time it takes to get everything done, and
-how much everything will cost.

Through a cognitive bias called “the planning fallacy”, our brains tend to underestimate the time and effort needed to complete a task. In order to overcome this, we need to “pad” the numbers.

Give yourself a buffer.

So, let’s say you think it will take 2-3 weeks to pack the house. Give yourself 4-5 weeks. You think it will cost $500 in gas. Estimate gas costs at $1,250.

This way, if you don’t need as much time or things don’t cost as much, great! You come out ahead. You can use that extra time and money to do something nice for yourself. 🙂

Be organized & methodical

A cluttered and disorganized environment can make you anxious and less productive. The same thing goes for your brain. Mental clutter, just like physical clutter, can cause overwhelm.

So, if you’ve got an endless list of “things to do” running through your mind, you may want to clear up some mental space by creating a checklist for yourself.

This works similarly to the “Brain Dump”; by getting everything out on paper (i.e. moving checklist, moving expenses, etc.), you can more clearly see what needs to be done, prioritize accordingly, and keep track of where you’re at in the process.

Visualize yourself doing it

When you visualize yourself reaching a goal, you’re training your brain to help you accomplish it. This mental rehearsal creates new neural pathways to support the reality you envisioned.

Visualizing success is a common practice among athletes including Muhammad Ali and Tiger Woods. Studies (especially in sports) have consistently shown that visualization actually improves performance.

This is because the same parts of the brain are activated when you visualize yourself doing something and when you act it out.

So, even if you’ve never done something before, by imagining yourself doing it successfully, you can enhance your performance when the time actually comes for you to do it.

Use mental imagery to imagine yourself gliding through the moving process with ease. See yourself taking all the necessary steps to accomplish your move and then feel the relief of knowing that everything went the way it was supposed to go.

Practice self-care

As with any undertaking, self-care is one of the keys to success.

Here’s an analogy. If your knife gets dull, it is advisable to sharpen the blade. After it’s sharpened, the knife cuts better and the chances of injury are reduced. If you don’t take the time to sharpen the blade, it will continue to get duller and duller until you simply can’t use it anymore.

Similarly, if you get tired or stressed it is advisable to take a break. Once you are feeling rejuvenated, you’ll perform better, and the chances of injury or illness are reduced. If you don’t take time for self-care, you will continue to wear yourself down to the point that you develop a physical or mental disease (or both).

All the things you work so hard for won’t mean a thing if you aren’t there to enjoy them! Taking care of yourself is not selfish or wrong; your physical and mental health depend on it.

Self-care is disease prevention. Practicing self-care allows you to be healthier, happier, more productive, more creative, more energetic --- the list of benefits goes on and on.

Prioritize self-care! Moving is stressful and protecting your health is crucial during this transition.