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Five Tips for Minimizing Moving Mayhem

Senior Moving DayToday’s Blog is a guest posting from Cindy Levitt, founder of peace by piece professional organizing and design.

Moving can be one of life’s most stressful events, or it can be one of the most liberating.  Studies rank moving right up there with death and divorce. However, with proper planning you can minimize much of the stress. Are you helping someone to move? Or are you the one organizing your own move? It can be very emotional and often stirs up a lifetime of memories, both good and bad. Think about your move as a fresh start.

 

Tip #1  Start early.

Don’t wait until the last minute to start making decisions about what to bring with you. It will seem less rushed if the hard decisions are made when you have time to think and contemplate. Know where you are moving? Great! Get the floor plan and think about how much space you will have and what will fit. Especially when it comes to memorabilia, start well in advance of the move, if possible. Sort, edit and archive the photos, important family documents and other meaningful items. You can find some nice archival boxes and products to use.  Here is one type I like: http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-archival-storage-boxes/

 

Tip #2  Evaluate what you have.

Be ruthless. Whether it’s clothes, knick knacks or furniture, this is the time to decide what you can live without and what you truly value. Ask: Do I love this enough to bring it with me? Does this make me feel good when I see this or use this? Does this item remind me of joyful times?

 

Tip #3  Organize!

I usually suggest creating a notebook with various pages or sections that you can add to as you go along. Headings could be: Donate, Sell, Give to Family, Bring to New Space, etc.  Go room by room and list each large item. If you are using your furniture right now but know that you will not be moving the green couch and the maple table, add those to the “Donate” list or the “Give to Family” list. Ask family and friends what they may like before you decide about donations. Maybe someone close to you can really use that couch or table.

 

Tip #4  Enlist help.

You can’t do it alone so don’t even try. Find good friends, family members or professionals to work with you. Host a coffee and dessert party or a wine and appetizer night to divide up the photos or knick knacks you would like to share with friends and family members before you start packing up.

 

Tip #5  Simplify your daily life.

Remember your mantra is “I can live more fully with less stuff weighing me down!” Too much stuff around you causes stress and creates more anxiety. Less stuff equals fewer items to keep clean and organized. .Your move can be the road to finding peace of mind.

 

Cindy Levitt  (click here) holds a Master of Education from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Washington University. Peace by piece professional organizing and design offers on-site residential and business organizing, speaking and teaching, coaching, consultation, relocation and moving services, staging and redesign services.  Cindy also works with seniors to organize and archive photographs and a lifetime of memorabilia. After moving from her home of 29 years to a smaller space, Cindy understands how difficult it is to make those tough decisions on what to keep and what to let go.  Visit her web site.

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