Are you moving to a new home? Stress is increased by major life events. Our brains are built to absorb new information and assimilate it into a daily routine. But even a positive new event can be stressful because it will disrupt that routine. A new marriage, a new job, a promotion, a new home. Any one of these things by itself can bring joy, but also stress. And in the middle of all that disruption to your routine, you may have to move!
Moving can feel overwhelming. The way to combat that feeling is to prevent all those tasks from circling in your brain and wearing you out. Management consultant David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, explains it this way: “Your mind is a great place for having ideas, not holding them”. Trying to keep a to-do list in your head creates stress because on some level, your brain thinks it should be doing them all at once. So get it out of your head and create a list. Once they’re on a list, you can stop thinking about them as long as you trust that you can find the list when you need it. So keep it and everything related to your move in a single place.
Here’s a list to get you started. Subtract those things that don’t make sense for your situation and add items as needed.
- Go through your belongings and sell, donate or discard anything you don’t want to take with you.
- Hiring a moving company? Conduct research and get estimates.
- Moving yourself? Call or check online for pricing on trucks.
- Contact your child’s school.
- Research new schools online and pre-register.
- Buy supplies. Buy boxes, tape, bubble wrap, pads, wardrobe boxes, and dish boxes. Don’t forget that you will need something with which to label everything.
- Get an early start on packing. Certain items are so seldom used that they can be packed into boxes weeks in advance.
- Complete a change of address form. You can do this at the post office but you can also do it online at https://www.usps.com/umove/
- Contact your utility companies at both ends of your move.
- Notify your doctor. He or she will need to send your medical records to a new doctor and may be able to help with a referral.
- Call your insurance company. You may need different insurance, especially if you are living in a home that you own and you will be renting for a while. You will want insurance for any items you elect to put in storage.
- Take an inventory with pictures. In case of a claim, it will be helpful to have an inventory of all your personal belongings. Having pictures will help the claims process.
- Plan your meals. It will make the move easier if you can eat down your present supply of food and have less to move.
- Complete packing
- Call ahead for information and pricing on storage if you will need it.
If you do need storage, and you’re moving to Greenville, Easley, Powdersville or Piedmont, South Carolina, consider River Road Storage Call us at 864-295-2428 or stop by and see our facility at 2531 River Rd Piedmont, South Carolina 29673