According to recent surveys, moving into a new house is among the most stressful life events that many of us undergo. And much of the stress comes from the fact that so much happens in such a short space of time.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to simplify life during a move. And among the first things you might focus on is your process for unpacking and settling into your new home.
Embracing the Slow Unpack
You don’t need to unpack all of your belongings and find them a new place within a few hours. In fact, rushing this process might lead to more stress in the long term. When you take your time to find a place for everything, you can be more thoughtful and intentional about where that place might be.
Of course, it still makes sense to get a few things out quickly. Prioritise those items that you actually need, and then move on to the decorations. Once you’ve lived in the home for a little bit, you might develop a better idea of what belongs where.
Creating Comfort Zones Early On
If you’re surrounded by boxes and reminders of the work you still have ahead of you, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed. For this reason, you might set up a few key areas of the home quickly and put everything else on the back burner. Your kitchen space should be comfortable and clutter-free. The same arguably goes for your living room. Small comforts in the spaces you actually occupy can make the stress a little more bearable.
The order in which you unpack will naturally depend on the shape of the home and the features it offers. New-build homes are more likely to come with open-plan sections downstairs, which should naturally be kept box-free.
Involving Everyone in the Process
When all of the work of unpacking falls onto the shoulders of just a few members of the household (or worse, just one person), then you might find that resentment begins to build. At the same time, different members of the family might have different ideas about what should go where. By making the process collaborative, you can make positive memories in your new environment, and you can do it quickly. Allowing children to unpack their own belongings might be a good start.
Connecting with Your New Community
Whilst you’re unpacking, it can be a good idea to introduce yourself to the local community. Knock on your neighbour’s door and find out about local events. It might be that there’s a low-pressure opportunity to integrate yourself, looming on the horizon!
