Updater

By Jenna Weinerman

Published Jan 16, 2015

Updated Nov 14, 2023

Moving soon? Get organized with our free moving checklist.

Name

Email(Required)

Your moving date

MM slash DD slash YYYY

By clicking submit, you consent to receive marketing communications from Updater and acknowledge that your information is 100% protected by, and subject to, our Privacy Policy.

Submit

Seeing the words “de-stress” and “move” in the same sentence probably has you snickering. As if you can plan a move without living in a stress bubble, right? Well, you may not be able to eliminate the stress completely, but there are a lot of things you can do to de-stress before a move (as well as during and after the moving process). Check out these 14 tips to help you take some of the stress out of your moving day.

1. Start with a Moving Checklist

Using a moving checklist early in your move planning process will help you get organized and keep on track for the weeks leading up to your move day — and beyond.  

2. Hire Movers

Just knowing that you have a professional handle all the heavy lifting will relieve a lot of stress. Make sure to hire a reputable company, and don’t wait until the last minute. Besides, if you wait, you won’t have the scheduling flexibility you may need when it comes down to the wire.

3. Take Inventory

Taking inventory may seem like a lot of extra work, but if you end up needing to file a claim, you’ll be glad you did. Besides, there are a lot of intuitive and helpful moving inventory apps you can use on your tablet or smartphone.

4. Moving Day Checklist

Your mind will be racing the second you get out of bed on moving day, so it’s easy to forget those no-brainer moving day tasks. For example, our moving company friends tell us it’s common to forget to double-check closets and cupboards for hidden items, and more people leave their cell phone charger plugged into the wall than you might expect. Make a thorough moving day checklist, including a final walk through, physically checking off everything as you do it.

5. Label Boxes

To ensure your movers place boxes in their appropriate rooms, make sure they’re labeled. Using a different color sticker for each room makes it easy to identify a box at a glance.

6. Find a Babysitter

If you have little ones, moving day’s a good time to settle arrangements with a babysitter, family member, or friend. You wouldn’t want them to slip underfoot!

7. Secure Pets

The last thing you need on moving day is your four-legged friend running out the door in an unfamiliar area. Make sure they’re in a secure place, such as a bathroom or laundry room, and put a “Do Not Open” sign on the door.

8. Pack Early

Packing is one of the primary causes of move-related stress because most people underestimate how time-consuming the process is. One of the key ways to de-stress before a move is to start packing early so you don’t have to spend every waking minute packing the week prior.

9. Eat Right

Relying on sugar and caffeine to get you through moving day is not the way to go about it. You’ll be tired and low on energy in the first place, so eating unhealthily will be your first step to moving day disaster.

10. Relaxation Exercises

You may be amazed at how effective a walk or brief yoga session is at tackling stress. Even deep breathing when you start feeling overwhelmed can help substantially. Just stoping for a few minutes for a relaxation exercise can make a difference.

11. Delegate Responsibility

Of course, no one in the house will ever do things as well as you, but it’s time to at least let them try. Delegate responsibility, even if it’s as simple as having your children pack their toys or your teenager make and pack lunches for the younger kids.

12. Plan Meals Ahead

Don’t spend your hours cooking during the week of the move — you have more important things to focus on. Start planning ahead two weeks in advance, and freeze what you can. One week prior, make large batches of overnight oats, muffins, soup, etc., so meals will be effortless during moving week.

13. Take a Night Off

You have a ton of things to do, but sometimes, you just need a few hours to do something you love to be motivated again.

14. Music Playlist

Good music is always a great stress reliever. Treat yourself to a few new music downloads, and create a fresh playlist. (Songs such as “I like to move it, move it” should get you in the mood!)

Jenna Weinerman

Jenna is Updater’s Head of Marketing and a published ReloTech expert. She’s an endless seeker of knowledge, a lover of craft brews, and a huge Philadelphia sports fan. Follow her on Twitter here.