Moving can be both exciting and extremely overwhelming at the same time, especially if you have psychotherapy for mental health issues. From trying to pack with the kids and pets underfoot to trying to find the right storage facility to store your belongings until you need them and from transferring your medical doctor, your psychologist, and even your psychiatrist, it can be hard to move and still keep your wits about you at the same time.
It’s time to face it; with all the excitement of finding the perfect house to move into, it’s easy to forget to do the simple things, or even some of the important ones as moving day draws closer. It’s best to be super-organized, make a list and check it twice, then take a deep breath before you begin preparing for your big move so that you can stay in good mental health during the process. In this article, you’ll find a few tips to help you do just that and take care of your mental health at the same time.
Find the perfect new home for your family.
The first thing you need to do is get out there and find the perfect new home for your family. You don’t want to start packing, switching out your psychologist, or moving things into a temporary storage unit until you know that you’ve found your new home. Just as you take your time searching for a new white jumpsuit to wear to an open house for the home you’re considering, you should take your time finding that home, to begin with.
When you’re searching for the perfect home, make sure that it has the features you want. You want it to be close to your psychologist, close to work and close the storage unit you’ve chosen to keep your stuff in as well. Make sure that you change out of that jumpsuit you wore to pack up your belongings however because a white jumpsuit is sure to get dirty easily.
Pare down all the possessions you can.
Moving is the perfect time to get rid of stuff that you rarely, if ever, use anymore. Take an inventory of the things you’ll be able to use in your new home and get rid of the ones that you won’t. While it’s possible to store all of your items in a storage unit, you want to save that space for things you will use and things you can’t get rid of. Once you’ve found cheap storage space in Miami, you can start moving your belongings to the storage unit whenever you’re ready.
The best thing to do is to separate your belongings into three different piles. One pile will be donated to Goodwill or another charity, one pile will go straight to the trash dump, and the last pile will be taken to your storage space on one of your trips to your storage unit. Once you’ve taken care of those three piles, the only things you should have left are the items you’re taking with you to your new home. Decluttering your home can be a calming experience during all of the chaos of moving as well.
Research new doctors.
If you’re going to be living relatively close to your medical doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, and other medical professionals you’ll need to see, then you can skip this step in the planning process. However, if it’s going to be a chore to see these medical professionals, then you need to talk to your doctor and see if they can refer you to other doctors in the area. It’s important to note that there is a difference between psychologist and psychiatrist during your search, so when you’re searching for new counseling, psychotherapy, or even psychological tests for a mental illness, you need to keep that in mind.
Turn on your utilities.
Don’t just assume that your gas, electricity, water, and other utilities will be up and ready to run the night you move into your new home. Set up all your utilities ahead of time. It’s best to have them switched on a couple of days before the big move, then you can go out and check to see that everything is working fine. The last thing you want is to get everything moved only to find on the big day that the water isn’t working or the breaker box is fried.
It won’t be good if you have to grab things out of your storage unit and head to a hotel for a few nights while these things are being fixed. Have them switched on ahead of time for your mental health and the mental health of your family also. If you do find yourself overly stressed and worried about your mental health, please make an appointment with your psychiatrist right away for a therapy session or talk therapy if you prefer.
Set up your cable and internet ahead of time.
If you plan on watching TV while you’re unpacking all the boxes you picked up from the storage unit on your way to the new house, then you will want to have your cable set up ahead of time. If you plan to work between unpacking those boxes, you need to have the internet connection and make sure it’s operational before you begin.
Get to know your new home.
Just as with anywhere else that’s new to you and your family, you’re going to have to take some time during that first month to get to know your new home. From finding out where the breaker box is to figure out where the outside faucets are, there’s a lot to do that first month to get acquainted and settled in, and feeling comfortable as well. As always, if you have problems settling in, make an appointment with your psychiatrist or psychologist for therapy to help you adjust.
These are just a few of the things you need to do before you move to a new home, and a few things you should do when you get there. With these tips, your move should be stress-free, and settling into your new home will be a breeze.