One of the reasons there may have been fewer posts lately is that I have been moving. This weekend as I loaded all of my worldly possessions into cardboard boxes and put them on a truck I reminded myself that moving can be stressful for everyone even if it is a positive move.
The truth is that any kind of change even positive ones like moving to a bigger house, getting married, or starting a new job can be stressful. Your routine and your environment are often changed and it takes time to adjust. As I have mentioned before in previous posts stress can be harmful. In this blog by Belle Beth Cooper http://blog.bufferapp.com/the-science-of-stress-how-its-breaking-down-your-body she shares studies that have shown parts of the brain actually shrank in animals exposed to stress.
As Cooper points out one of the most important factors to successful stressing is how you handle it. It is a normal part of moving to be emotional, to be functioning less efficiently mentally, and to feel stressed out when you relocate. Reminding yourself of this and allowing yourself some time to adjust can be a simple fix. Other tips that might help are:
Stay organized- keep lists, label boxes, keep out a calendar, change your address, and anything else you can do to keep yourself as organized as possible will help to ease chaos during the move.
Get enough sleep - long nights of packing and unpacking can infringe on our shut eye. Be sure to get plenty of shut eye during this time to fight the stress.
Eat healthy- when the dishes and pans are all packed we are tempted to go to fast food restaurants during a move. Good, whole nutrition will help to fuel your body as you deal with all the physical and mental demands of a move.
Take breaks-the world wont end if you don't unpack that box of books tonight. Go take a walk in your new neighborhood, check out the library, or go see a movie. Taking breaks will help you feel more energized when you do work.
Stay positive- your perspective can completely change how you feel. Try to remember all of the positive reasons you moved and focus on those. Whether it was a new job, a bigger house, a cool destination, or to be closer to friends and family keeping your eye on the prize can mentally help you deal with the broken dishes or the cost of new trash cans.
If the stress is unbearable consider taking a break to look up a psychologist in your new area to help you find new ways to deal with the changes and cope with stress. Your brain, your loved ones, and your unbroken dishes will thank you for it!
No comments:
Post a Comment