How to Mindfully Move to Your New Home With Less Stress! 

You’ve found the apartment or house of your dreams. You’ve been nervous about making this change, especially at this stage of your life, but you fought through that fear because you know this is what you want. A huge congratulations to you!

Only, now that you’re ready for the big move, you’ve noticed some problems. Perhaps the top floor in your new home is only accessible via a winding staircase — how in the world will you get your bed up there? Or maybe the home is to die for, but the closet space is limited. Maybe everything on your “must-have” list was checked off, except the kitchen is half the size you were really looking for. The 100% perfect home likely doesn’t exist.

When you move, there’s going to be something that you have compromise on. Moving to a new home never goes perfectly, but organizing and staying calm from the early stages can make your move that much more seamless. This post will teach you how to move the mindful, peaceful way so that you can start feeling truly at home in your new place as soon as possible. Moving with kids? Check out this complete guide to moving with kids of all ages.

What To Do Before You Pack

What’s the point of packing items you no longer want or need? You’ve probably collected a lot of stuff over the years, which is why this is the perfect time to trim down. You deserve a fresh start! What about those items and pieces of furniture that you love but won’t fit in your house? If you want to move with mindfulness, take a moment to notice if you truly love your stuff. A big part of mindfulness is letting go of the items that hold you back or weigh you down.

Here’s what to do before you start packing boxes:

• Tackle the cluttered areas of your home first. This is where you’ll find the items to toss, donate, or shred. Go through closets, junk drawers, cabinets you barely go into, as well as storage areas. Set aside items that you want to pass on to others. If you’re not sure how to get rid of some of your items, search online to find local donation spots or shredding events.
• If you can’t make an immediate decision about whether to keep an item, go through a checklist in your head. When was the last time you used it? What’s the reason you’ve kept it this long? Will it bring you joy or serve a purpose in the future?
• Organize your items by category, not room. The way your current home is organized is not necessarily the way your new home will be organized. Won’t it be easier if all of your books, wall decor, or office supplies are gathered together?

The more you can downsize pre-packing, the easier your move will be. Also, you’ll start off in your new home with only the items you truly care about, allowing you a chance to collect new things and build up new parts of your life. Sounds refreshing!

Tips For Packing To Move

Once you’ve trimmed down your belongings, it’s time to start packing. This is the time to truly focus. Packing takes a long time, but if you do a little bit every day, you won’t get overwhelmed. This is the perfect time to practice being mindful and present — you’ll need to if you’re going to harness your organization skills! Tune in to what’s happening around you and tune out distractions.

Here’s how to pack the mindful way:

• Make friends with lists or mind maps! From here on out, lists are going to be your best friend, so write everything and anything down; it’s better to have extra info on hand than not have the info you need. Hate lists? Create a Mind Map by hand or using digital tools. Whatever your learning style there is a way to track your tasks and successes.
• Get the right boxes! Do yourself a favor and use the correct boxes for moving particular items. You may think you’ll save money by reusing old boxes, but the boxes and your items may be at risk of breaking if you do it this way. Invest in wardrobe boxes and containers specifically designed for dish-ware to keep your items safe.
• Create an un-packing list as you pack. Number the boxes and keep a list of what’s in what, then put a star or colored dot on the the boxes you need to unpack first. For example, your books can probably wait, but your kitchenware should be unloaded early on. Your winter clothes don’t have to be unpacked if you’re moving during the spring. Your home office supplies are a necessity, but your decor items can be unpacked slowly as you decorate.
• Only pack what you need to! Make your life as easy as possible. Items in drawers can remain in drawers — you can pull the drawers out and move them separately if the furniture is too heavy. There’s no need to take clothing off hangers only to rehang them again in your new place. Items that are currently in organizers, like in your desk or kitchen, can stay in the organizers; just get a box big enough to fit them. Better yet, hire movers to do all this for you!

No matter how organized you are during your move, settling into your new place is always going to be a little chaotic. The goals should be to pack in a way that makes the most sense, that keeps your items safe, and that makes your belongings easy to find once you move.

The most enjoyable part of unpacking might be the opportunity to try new furniture organization, hang up wall art in different areas, and overall, offer yourself an entirely new environment to begin this new chapter of your life!

What To Do On Moving Day

Moving day is here! No matter how much you prepared ahead of time, there’s still a lot to do on the big day. This is when you need to remain open to new experiences and accept things as they come without judgement. Moving day is going to be jam-packed, but if you can stay calm inside, you’ll get through it with minimal bumps. Here’s what you should prioritize so that you can make the day run as smoothly as possible:

• Keep the essentials separate. Pack an overnight bag and a clear box with the items you’ll need ASAP, like clothing, toiletries, sheets, your coffee maker, etc. Keep that box with you — don’t load it onto the moving truck or put it in a friend’s car.
• Delegate! As the moving truck is unloaded, delegate tasks. It’ll be much easier for you to set up your new home if boxes and pieces of furniture are already in the correct location, and if you have movers, friends, or family to take care of specific duties.
• Make Your Bed! If you have a spare minute while the movers are bringing in boxes, make your bed. You’re going to be tired once everything is moved in, and if your bed is made, you can relax when you need to instead of digging around for your sheets and blankets — not to mention, this little corner of tidiness might be exactly the motivation you need to keep up the hard work!
• Got kids? If you have a young child, or if you or a loved one is expecting, be sure to baby proof the house both while you’re moving and once you’re settled, keeping potential hazards out of reach before bringing your child home. It may be best to have someone to babysit while you complete the move, if your budget allows for it!

Moving is as stressful as it is exciting. The best way to quell your nerves is to prepare as much as possible in advance. By being realistic about what you can and should take to your next place, moving day — and the days following, when you set up your home — will be more enjoyable than anxiety-inducing. Once you’re moved in, you’ll have all the time you need to connect to your surroundings and start to feel at peace in your new space. Welcome home!

Discover more ways to mindfully declutter your home or office here >>

This is a guest post by Adrian Johansen. Adrian loves to share her experiences through writing. She’s always looking for better ways to organize her space and time. If you want to see more of her writing, check her out on Twitter!

Image by Christian Stahl.