7 Steps to a More Peaceful Moving Experience

If you’re feeling stressful at the thought of moving, you’re not alone. About 19 percent of the U.S. population moves every year.

And, according to the Employee Relocation Council, moving is third only behind death and divorce as the most stressful life event.

Moving disrupts routines, lifestyles and friendships, and uproots families. Moving is physically exhausting.

The anxieties of moving to a strange neighborhood, city, state or country can become overwhelming when you factor in the high cost of moving.

Don’t become a victim of the high stress that comes with moving. Start making moving plans the day you know you will be moving.

Create a "to do" calendar. Call the utility companies. Fill out your change-of-address cards. Call for estimates from moving companies. Tell friends and family members to expect a call from you soon to help you move.

Here are seven ways to take the stress out of moving:

1. Do the math. The high cost of moving is a huge stress instigator. Do the math upfront to minimize your stress. Know that replacing household items sometimes is less expensive than moving them. Know that throwing out unused items immediately will save you the time and expense of packing, moving and re-storing those unused items. Plus, you earn a charitable deduction for donated items.

2. Simplify. Delegate moving chores to each person in your house, choosing taskmasters by their individual talents. For example, let the cleaning nut do all the cleaning. Let the household mechanic make sure everything is taken apart and packed so that it can be easily put together again. Break down complex moving challenges into simple chores.

3. De-clutter. Throw away belongings that carry negative emotional baggage. Now is the time to carefully clean and pack those items you want to become family heirlooms. Mark these items, and pack carefully. Is anything else really necessary? If it’s not, consider just throwing it away.

4. Label everything. For each box you pack, tape a piece of paper to the outside on which you have listed the contents, item by item. Color-code packing boxes by room. For example, place a green dot on each box from your kitchen, and a red dot on each box containing items from your bedroom.

5. Clean as you go. Every time you pack up a room, take a packing break by stopping to thoroughly clean that room. Then close the door to measure your progress. Ditto with each closet and other measurable space in your house.

6. Enlist outside help. If you can afford it, pay a cleaning company rather than exhausting yourself to the point of dangerous fatigue. Enlist friends or family members to help you plan, move and unpack.

7. Anticipate positives. Instead of worrying about the loss of old friends, neighborhoods and habits, anticipate new friends and new places for adventure. Take a break from moving to investigate educational and fun places in the vicinity of your new home. Engage your family in discussions about the positives of your new place while you still are moving from your old place. Remember: Stress is contagious, but so is excitement.