Conquering the five most common fears about moving

Moving can create anxiety with a capital A but it doesn't have to. Read below on how to stay calm through the process.

Next to the illness and death of a family member or the dissolution of a marriage or long-term partnership, moving is right up there on the stressors that cause most people sleepless nights and daytime attacks of angst.

By knowing that this fear is normal, that it impacts everyone, and that it will pass with coping strategies, you can alleviate it and take further steps to keep it at bay.

Here are five of the most common specific fears associated with moving and strategies to help you deal with them if they threaten your plans:

1. Anxiety of the unknown – Sooner or later even the freest of human spirits feels the sturdy grasp of the status quo. It is the force that fills our brains with thoughts that what we are doing is ill-conceived, that we will fail, that we are hurting others by pursuing our own dreams, and that we are making a big mistake to move. It pushes us firmly to accept inertia as the compelling force of our lives.

Strategy for coping with anxiety of the unknown – Practice the lost art of self-compassion. Tell yourself you have come this far in life by having the courage to pursue your goals and dreams, and that you cannot stop now. Remind yourself that love and caring has no borders; it is not contained in a box that you move, but will escape and fly back and forth at will and stay alive if you let it. There is no failure, except in missed opportunities in life. The great thing about roads to new places is that while they go forward, they also go backwards, and returning is always an option. You deserve to explore this wide and wonderful world.

2. Fear that those coming with you, especially your children, will not like it where you are going – Being responsible for the choices in your own life is one thing, but it is the heaviest of all trips to carry the burden of making the choices for others dependent on your care. But the wonderful thing about children is that although they may cry on a second’s notice, they can also forget and re-engage with a new situation much faster than the average adult.

Strategy: Talk to your children and let them be involved in the decision and planning of the move. Research some of the things they can look forward to in their new home. Give even young children ways to contribute to the action of the move, so that they feel a part of it. For spouses who are old enough to make their own choices about whether to accompany you or not, it is important to communicate clearly your wishes for going, and to engage them in the spirit and wonderment of shared adventures as two loving human beings.

3. Fear of selecting the wrong mover – Some people just can’t help themselves from sharing the worst horror stories they know. So as soon as you share your plans for taking a temporary work residence in a foreign country, they spill out tales of woe from people who never, ever connected with their possessions from home and whose movers took their money and were never heard from again.

Strategy: Put a stop to all that talk right from the beginning by having your international mover in place even before you advise people you are going. Select reputable, experienced movers who can advise you of all the ins and outs of an international move and guide you through the process. At Taylor International Movers, for example, we have been moving people around the globe for more than two generations.

4. Fear of loss of valuable possessions – When you are travelling miles around the globe and your goods will need to be shipped from truck to ship to truck again, of course there is the potential for some damage or loss.

Strategy: Protect yourself right from the start by taking our ample insurance on your possessions. If a piece of art is irreplaceable, consider storing it at in a secure and environmentally safe location until your return if your relocation is temporary. If there are things you feel you must bring with you, talk to your mover about special precautions and arrangements.

5. Fear of not being organized in time for the move – It is the nature of humans to procrastinate, and the idea of moving from one country to another is so overwhelming for many, that rather than start right away, they put it off not really knowing where or how to start this colossal project.

Strategy: Itemize steps, starting with immediately seeking the help of an international mover. They will have checklists and advice to help you break down what has to be done into manageable tasks with associated deadlines. This will help you shoulder some of the burden and shed light on what you can do day by day to be ready for moving day.

Taylor International Movers, headquartered in Burlington, Ont., offers a worldwide moving service for our private and corporate clients. Call us to discuss your move at 1-877-832-8010.