Moving can be a wonderful experience. The beginning of a new life, a clean slate, if you will. However, more often, it’s something you want to get over with as quickly as possible. But, afterward, when you’re done moving, you might find out that moving is not done with you. In fact, here you’ll find 5 ways moving affects your mental health. And, it might come as a surprise, but some of them are not so positive.
Always look after your mental health, especially when moving. Â
Moving is a very stressful experience
The amount of stress, all at once, can trigger certain processes in people’s minds. And it can get really stressful. For example, no matter how much you prepare, something might always go wrong. And for people who are more sensitive, this can present a serious issue. For example, you might damage or lose a valuable item. As a result, the stress can build up and it can cause a serious case of anxiety. However, there are ways to make moving stress-free.
How to stay relaxed when moving
If you are prepared and you choose the right approach, the moving doesn’t have to be so stressful. It’s important to have a good system and to stick to it. Also, you should realize that you don’t have to do it all by yourself. You can hire a professional moving company, like this one at usmovingexperts.com. After you share your burden, you might find the moving to be a pleasant experience, after all.
A big change during a crucial point in life
A lot of things change after you move. Not only your home but your friends, your surroundings, and your job. So, imagine that you’re a teenager and you have to move. An introverted teenager. Now, in this case, moving can have a serious impact on this young person. First, the adolescents rely a lot on their relationships, even more, if they’re introverted. Leaving their friends can be very hard for them. But, leaving their friends, without the habit of making new friends is even harder. So, can you change this and make moving a potentially positive experience?
Broken patterns can be a cause of depression and anxiety.
A change of perspective
Now, there’s something that a regular moving 101 doesn’t really say. And it’s that, just as with every life experience, you can choose your own perspective. So is this the point where you leave your old friends behind, or where you make your new friends. Is this when stop doing the things you love or when you start doing the things you love even more. The truth is that it’s up to us. That’s why it can be so hard, but so easy at the same time. But with consistency and self-discipline, you’ll soon notice a difference in your perspective.
The cause of serious mental health issues
So, you have a family and you’ve decided to move. And you’ve chosen one of the best cities for families. And naturally, you expect your kids to share the enthusiasm. Well, you should also know that the kids who have moved when they were young have a much higher chance of experiencing mental health problems. In a study where around 50.000 children participated, it was discovered how the age of children most affected. More precisely, kids over five years old were most affected by moving. When you think of it, it makes a lot of sense, since the kids form important relationships at this age. And not only that, but they also don’t get to express themselves when the decision is being made. However, there’s a way to avoid this.
How to prevent the source of potential trauma
Children are not really the ones making the decision regarding the move. You, as a parent, make this decision for them. You know the real reason for the move and you also choose the new location. But even then, moving affects your mental health. So imagine your children, who are powerless when it comes it making this decision. Luckily, there are ways to help them cope with moving and to prevent it from being a source of trauma:
There are ways to help your kids cope with the move.
- include them in the decision-making process – if not the neighborhood or a house, let them at least choose a color of the room
- say a proper farewell – children like parties and playing with their friends, so by throwing a party, they might associate moving with something positive
- be there for them – let them know it’s all right to feel sad and to have all sorts of different feelings. Give them an opportunity to share these feelings with you.
Moving as a way of hiding attachment issues
Some people move from time to time and they seem to be at peace with it. Even more, they seem to be happy with their constant moving. But, when you look closer, there might be an issue hidden under the surface. They might be avoiding serious attachments with people and moving might be what helps them do this. As soon as they attach to a group of people, they move and start all over. This can prevent them from being emotionally invested and can prevent them from being hurt.
In order to heal, face the issue
When it comes to coping with moving problems, there’s no way around it, but to face it. But with other, more serious issues? Some people do their best to avoid facing them. They just avoid the discomfort and even move because of it. But, in order to really deal with something, sometimes we just need to face it. Face the feelings, and see what comes out. If you constantly avoid getting hurt, you are also preventing your own self-expansion and self-growth. Is facing these feelings easy? It’s not. But, is it worth it? It absolutely is.
Moving affects your mental health in a good way, too
Especially if you allow it to. First, people seem to remember in more detail the time of their life just before or after they moved. The reason is that this change is something that’s easy to remember. So, the memories around your move are connected with these events, making it easier to access them. So, can you use this to your advantage?
There’s a silver lining
Moving is hard, but it doesn’t have to be all that. Now you also know that moving affects your mental health, and not only in a bad way. It can be a new point in your life. The one that you will choose to enjoy your life more, to do what you really want to do. Even choosing to do it, can present the beginning of the new stage in your life. The one that can be truly glorious.
