It’s been said a thousand times before – so many times, in fact, that it’s becoming distinctly tedious. But here we go again, moving is supposedly the most stressful life event there is, up at the top of the stress charts, alongside bereavement and divorce. We’ve always been firm believes in the idea that you can mitigate the stress of moving house. We do whatever we can to achieve every moving job in such a way that the worries and tensions of our clients are diminished to the point of being inconsequential. We’d also advise anyone getting to grips with a move to dedicate themselves to at least one stress-busting technique for the duration of their move. Here are three that we think can have a positive and significant impact on day-to-day life during relocation:
1. Breathing exercises
You can safeguard a special time each day, perhaps ten minutes, to turn your attention to breathing, but you can also do on-the-spot breathing work to combat stress as it arises. Do this standing, sitting or lying. The more regularly you do it, the more you’ll feel its calming effects. Take breath in through your nose, as deeply as you can, feeling it fill up either your belly or diaphragm. Release the breath through your mouth. Now, continue breathing in and out in this manner. If it helps, count to five on the in-breath and then to five again on the out-breath. Maintain this gentle breathing exercise for up to five minutes. More information is available at www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/pages/ways-relieve-stress.aspx
2. Mindfulness
Few people can have avoided hearing about mindfulness over the last few years as its popularity has risen, with justification. Not only can it diminish stress, it can enhance all aspects of life and increase wellbeing. Mindfulness is, in essence, the act of stopping and, eyes closed or open, paying attention to what is going on both inside and outside of us. We observe the passage of our thoughts without jumping inside them. We notice our breathing. We inhabit the present moment and feel freed from the shackles of the past, with its regrets, and the future, with its worries. Get started by visiting: nhs.uk/mindfulness
3. Lists
At SuperMover we love lists – particularly the way a hand-written list can ease the mind. Manage the stress of a move by creating a list at the end of the day. Write down every task or idea that is troubling you. Perhaps there are ten. Or maybe fewer. Whatever the case, write then down with numbers of bullet points marking out each one. Feel the worry transport itself from your mind and on to the page and let it flow in that direction. Then place the list down on your desk (or similar surface) and let it remain there till morning. This relaxing exercise will help you sleep better throughout your move.
