The Psychology of Moving

Everybody moves. Whether it be for a relationship, employment, a lifestyle change or warmer weather. The reasons may vary but one thing is for certain – we all move at some time or another. Regardless of the commonality, moving is stressful. 

Research shows that moving is amongst the top five most stressful situations that we experience within our lifespan. It is ranked next to divorce. A study demonstrated that when participants were primed with an imaginary moving situation, they were more likely to generate words associated with anxiety and loneliness than the control group. So even though the reason for a move may be exciting and full of adventure, the actual process can provoke feelings of fear, loneliness and anxiety. This is partially due to a psychological phenomenon called the exposure effect. The exposure effect is the tendency to like things that we are familiar with simply because we are familiar with them. When we move, we’re entering new and unfamiliar territories which lack the comforts of our well-known grocery stores, routes to work and coffee shops. 

The effects of moving are also highly individualized and vary depending on different factors such as personality traits and moving frequency as a child. An introverted person may find moving to be more stressful, as making new connections tends to be more draining than for someone who is extroverted. It isn’t all bad news though! Being aware of the pressures and stressors that moving can cause makes it that much easier to combat them! Below are some tips on how to do this:

• Plan ahead – book anything you need (movers, trucks, etc) 6-8 weeks in advance.
• Have a party – have a moving party with friends and family to say goodbye and celebrate the change. The positive energy and extra helping hands will help motivate you and alleviate stress
• Use a shipping container to give yourself extra time to pack and unpack. Gone are the days of trying to do it all in one day. Take a month or six to get the job done. 
• Stay organized by creating a time sensitive to-do list.
• Purge - a move is a great time to let go of things that no longer have purpose. Donate old clothes, pantry items, furniture, old sports equipment etc.
• Go with flow - no matter how much we plan, life happens. Stay flexible in your approach and carve out some extra time for unexpected surprises.
• Self-care - remember to take care yourself by getting enough sleep, hydrating, eating properly and exercising. 

With the right tools, the right help and the right mindset, a stress-free move can be achieved. Secure-Rite takes pride in helping individuals and families achieve this by offering a range of storage and moving solutions. If you’re planning a home move, we would love to help!