Moving house is widely reckoned to be one of the most stressful experiences of a person’s life – and even more so when relocating outside the UK. Moving abroad not only means leaving your familiar home, family, friends, and neighbourhood, but also includes uprooting children from schools and friendship groups, not to forget starting a brand-new job in a foreign country.
So, with a wide range of factors contributing to ‘relocation stress’, what can you do to make the process easier and less traumatic for yourself and your family?
Much of the stress of a global relocation comes from the sheer quantity of things that need to be done, and the tight timescales attached to many of these tasks, such as Visa applications, delivery schedules, and the start date for your new job.
Keeping a detailed planner to structure your time is a good way of coping with stress and helping you see the process in context. Seen as a whole, an international move can feel overwhelming, so break the process down into as many small milestones as you need, and deal with things systematically, one at a time. Organise your calendar to include any phone numbers, addresses, and anything else that needs your attention before, during, and after your move.
With so many things to do, it’s easy to get side-tracked into things that are irrelevant or less important, so organise your task list in terms of what needs to be completed first and give these things your immediate attention. If too much is due at one time, try to delegate or seek help from friends and family wherever you can. Your new employer, too, will often be happy to lend a hand and may have an established process or even grants available to assist employees to relocate internationally, so get in touch with your HR team or line manager as far in advance as possible to smooth the process of the move.
You are only human and, unfortunately, international relocations rarely happen in a vacuum. You’ll probably have plenty of other things that still need doing during the move – your current job, childcare and education, cooking, housework etc – as well as tying up loose ends among your social circle. So, give yourself plenty of time to take care of yourself and your emotional wellbeing so you don’t get burnt out.
Taking time out to exercise is important, and you may benefit from learning how to regulate your breathing to reduce stress. Also, try to express your emotions regularly and creatively rather than bottling them up, as suppressed and repressed emotions can become a greater source of stress down the line. Some seem to cope perfectly well during their global relocation, only to fall apart once the removal van drives off! If you can, give yourself days off in which you’re not dealing with your relocation, and be gentle on yourself if you have slower days – it’s a long game and you won’t always be able to sustain a super-high level of productivity every day without it taking a toll on your health.
People tend to accumulate a lot of possessions very quickly, so when it comes to your global relocation, you’ll probably find an enormous quantity of property, possessions, furniture, and knickknacks that need to be carefully packaged and shipped outside the UK. A house move is, therefore, a golden opportunity to de-clutter your life and to ask yourself the question ‘Do I really need this?’ Use the time to take stock of items you may not use any more or don’t hold enough sentimental value to hang onto. Do this well in advance so that you can sell, give away, or donate your unwanted items to make your life easier when it comes to packing.
Our tailored global relocation service helps take the stress and anxiety out of moving abroad, completing the process quickly and efficiently, at an affordable price with no hidden costs. For a breakdown of what our service includes or to discuss your needs in person with one of our experienced team, please call us today on 01708 868068, or click here to send us a message.
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