Moving is more than a hassle. It is a stressful life event. Ask anyone who has ever moved a family household. When it comes to the process of moving, everything is in random chaos no matter how hard you try to be organized and scheduled.
Two weeks ago, we moved into our new home across town and are fully immersed in the unfurling stage of re-ordering our stuff, things that help us feel at home in the world. Some parts of the house are unpacked, and other sections are in total disarray. There are still missing pieces to the puzzle of re-organizing our lives into a new space. And where is that bin of choir music I need for Sunday? Such is the swirl of my life right now.
Amid the stress, I have felt the pressure of getting everything unpacked and settled as quickly as possible. Yet, unpacking happens at a more readily disruptive pace, always taking longer than expected.
Moving – a Stressful Life Event
The impact of this magnitude of a stressful life event has resulted in minimal hours of sleep, forgetfulness, the feeling of working in slow motion, and having a shorter fuse than normal when it comes to patience (and trusting the process), both with myself and others. My saving grace? Acknowledging the stress, laughter, and gratitude, being grateful for the mess.
Moving and settling into a new home does not happen overnight. It takes a little longer to reclaim our sense of belonging and feeling a sense of home again. It is OK to acknowledge and accept that stress. Embrace the chaos. Find laughter along the way. Pause and breathe in the perspective. Receive the mess with gratitude. These are a few mental tools to help us cope with the blunder of disruptions.
Stress Happens
Stress happens to all of us. You can plan, organize, and prepare for major stressful moments, but life does not always go as planned. When it comes to moving, everything takes longer than expected. Our fatigue levels increase, and the underlying item of exhaustion is ever pervasive. Acknowledging and owning our stress helps keep the effects (impatience, fatigue, shortness of temper, life feeling out-of-sorts) in perspective.
Throughout our lives, there are times when we are a tangled ball of mess in the stress. Denying stress doesn’t help. I came across this pithy phrase while unpacking, “Too blessed to be stressed.” Bullshit. I am blessed, and I get stressed in life. Stress is a part of living.
A Few Coping Tools
- Acknowledge the stress both out loud with your loved ones and internally to yourself.
- Own that you are under stress during the hectic, chaotic time of moving.
- Rest when feasible.
- Find moments to laugh.
- Remind yourself to breathe deeply.
- Be mindful of the pockets of gratitude amid all the mess and chaos.
How do you cope with stress in your life? Especially the major stressors – serious illness, death, moving, divorce, broken relationships, loss of a job? What helps you keep life in perspective?
I welcome your comments.
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