Fear and Anxiety About Moving Out – How to Overcome Them

October 19, 2021 / Posted in Relocation Psychology
Hannah Michaelson

Hannah is a freelance relocation writer from NYC that has become an expert on packing and unpacking

Not all people feel happy about having to move – to some of us, relocations are a huge source of stress. This is pretty common nowadays, and severe anxiety about moving out is becoming a real problem for many. If you are facing this obstacle on your way to the home of your dreams, you could benefit from our article – we will explain in detail how to overcome the anxiety about moving out of state and effortlessly prepare for your move.

A sad man leaning on the box, other boxes, and a plant behind him
How to fight the fear of changing your home? Our tips will help you

Whether you have anxiety about moving out for the first time or have moved before but still dislike the change, you can fight your fears and keep the stress to the minimum while you pack your belongings and prepare for leaving to another state. If you’re asking yourself – how do I mentally prepare to move out? – you’ve come to the right place. We have all the best tips and tricks to get you peace of mind.

Fear and Anxiety About Moving Out – Why Does This Happen?

Is it normal to be nervous about moving out? Yes, absolutely, but the real question is how nervous. You will be under a lot of pressure – that is unavoidable if you want to have even a little bit of an efficient move and avoid the most commonly made relocation mistakes. But, when your problem crosses the line and turns you into an anxious person, that’s when trouble begins.

Why is relocating so stressful? Relocations represent a big change in your life, and it’s normal to be worried about what waits ahead, which is why a stress-free move is basically impossible to achieve. However, you can’t let it rule over your complete mental health – you must learn to refuse falling prey to unhealthy patterns. How do you do that? With our excellent relocation tips, of course.

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Do Your Personality Traits Influence How You Perceive Moving? Is This Change Harder on Introverts or Extroverts?

Studies have shown some differences between how introverted and extroverted people experience changes, such as relocating to another state. Introverts have more trouble accommodating to new surroundings, and the move can make them more anxious before and after – they are more likely to experience relocation depression than extroverts.

But, even though a move leads to anxiety for introverts, that doesn’t mean they can never move to a new city. With a bit of help, they can easily move away from friends and family and learn how to fit in and make friends in a new city.

A sad woman holding her hands together close to her face
Fear of changes isn't rare, and many are battling it just as you are - you're not alone

How Does This Problem Usually Manifest?

How can you be sure that what you are experiencing is actually anxiousness rather than just common stress? If you’re just worried about deciding what to keep when you move (and if you will require storage service to store all those items) or you think you don’t know how to pack fragile items, that’s normal, but the symptoms we will list below aren’t.

  • Headaches,
  • Stomachache,
  • Insomnia,
  • Restlessness,
  • Excessive sweating,
  • Clenching your jaw too tight,
  • Constant feeling of worry without any reason,
  • Lack of concentration,
  • Lack of energy,
  • Forgetting things that have happened recently,
  • Palpitations (the sensation of heart pounding in your chest or throat),
  • Difficulty breathing in, like you are suffocating.
A man holding his head with his left hand, his eyes shut
Headaches or low energy for no reason might be a sign that something's wrong

How Do I Cope With Anxiety When Moving Out? Focusing On Yourself Is Crucial

Once you are sure that you are really anxious and not just stressed out, the question is – what to do about it? How do people cope with this exhausting problem? It interferes with your life and wastes your energy. You could’ve probably finished half of your to-do list by now if you weren’t so anxious, right?

Don’t let that frustrate you – it’s better to start dealing with a problem late than never. Of course, this might not be so practical if you are having a last-minute move, but we hope you will have enough time for both relaxing and packing books and other household things.

Focus on Your Well-Being – That’s What Will Help Your Quality of Life

It sounds cliche to tell someone to focus on themselves, and things will get better. But, in this case, this is actually true. You have to find an hour or two every day until the move and do something you love. Don’t think about getting organized to move – just forget all about the things like shipping your car cross country (this won’t even be difficult if you hire a quality auto transport company) or trying to be without tears when saying goodbye to friends.

You need ME TIME. Trust us, this will help a lot. So, watch an episode of your favorite TV show, read a book, or go for a walk with your headphones. Do a bit of yoga, or dance it out in front of your mirror, whatever works for you. You’ll see that this isn’t a bit of silly advice at all and that you feel like the weight has been lifted off your chest.

A person in grey pants, reading a book on the bed, a coffee mug on the bed
You need to focus on yourself - packing countless things will still be there after you relax

If You Are Leaving Home for the First Time, You Will Need a Great Support System

Is it normal to have anxiety about moving out of my parents’ house? This is one of the usual questions – young people feel like they should be happy that the moment has finally arrived, and yet they feel stressed out. Again, this is the fear of change – especially if we’re talking about a move from a small town to a big city. The most important thing in cases like this is that your parents create a strong support system.

That means having open communication and being able to talk about what bothers you. Do you have that with your family? If you do, not even relocating to another country can affect your relationship with them, and that you will have someone to lean on when struggling. Additionally, if you have trouble adjusting to the new surroundings, it would be helpful if your family could visit you often.

How Do I Cope With Moving Out for the First Time?

In addition to having your family by your side, what will help is thinking about the independence you will soon have. Your own space – isn’t that something to look forward to? Plus, think about decorating your new home. All these fun and exciting changes can help you get your mind off the stuff that you find stressful.

However, if you are about to move out for the first time, that most likely means you don’t know much about relocations. If that is the case, check out the video below – you will hear good advice and learn great relocation hacks.

Think About the Reasons Why You’re Relocating to a New Home

Obviously, if changes scare you this much, you won’t just decide to move out of the blue one day without any apparent reason. What are your reasons to move? Are they good enough to overcome a few weeks of stress? We are sure they are. Maybe you want to move in with a partner, or you have decided to move for a job. Either way, a new home means new opportunities, and this is something to think about. Staying in our comfort zone the whole life and never being able to make hard choices don’t make up for a quality life – do you agree?

There are so many benefits of relocating your belongings with cross-country movers and starting a new life. Once you unpack after the move, you will realize that you have so much to explore and get to know the city you’ve just moved to. We hope you’ve packed wine bottles properly – open one, and toast yourself on your success. You showed yourself that you could make an effort and overcome your fears, which will be the greatest benefit of this relocation.

A smiling woman with glasses, her head up and eyes closed
There are so many great reasons to move - focus on yours, and it will all be easier

If Your Mental Health Is Severely Affected, You Might Want to Consult a Professional

Sometimes, we can’t make ourselves feel better – we simply don’t know how to do that. That’s perfectly fine. Not everybody can handle this alone, and some only need a bit of guidance. If you find yourself unable to handle basic tasks from your packing list, such as packing kitchen items, because the upcoming move is stressing you out so severely, maybe it would be wise to reach out to a professional. But, this might lead you to wonder – is the relocation a good enough reason to contact your therapist?

The truth is that you don’t even need a reason, and you don’t have to overthink if your reason is valid or not. We suggest everybody who struggles with long-distance moves talk it out with a therapist. You can’t say that a move from the east coast to the west coast, for example, is an irrelevant change – it’s far from that, and it makes perfect sense that a person would have trouble adapting to it. Medication is also required in some cases, and it’s nothing uncommon.

A man in a chair talking to a female therapist sitting across from him
If you have tried everything but still struggle, talk it out with a therapist

You’ve Got This – Nothing Can Stop You From Having the Perfect Long-Distance Moving Experience

Understandably, you are probably still scared. But think about it – you have been saving money to move for a while. After that, you had to decide where to live – we are sure that all that house-hunting wasn’t so fun. And yet, you’ve gone through all that, and you’re almost at the finish line. Indeed, you won’t give up now that you only have to gather all the packing materials and put your belongings into the best-sized boxes. Hang on a little longer, and you will soon be enjoying the very thing you were afraid of.

Anyone who has ever had a long-distance move can tell you that packing and relocating far away from everything you know is exciting – it’s one of the best experiences you can have. Plus, if you have quality relocation services (which can also include excellent packing services) and reputable cross-country movers, nothing can go wrong. After the relocation day is over, you will realize that you had nothing to worry about.

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