A big move is a big deal. And big deals usually mean big stress, big hassles, and big drama. Looking for ways to help your loved ones unwind after all that? Here are some strategies that should help:
Prioritize Living Stability
The hardest part of moving is often the sense of loss that comes with it. It’s hard leaving friends and familiar places behind, and it can result in family members feeling unmoored and directionless. The thing they need most right now is a sense of stability, of safety and security. In other words, if you just moved to Toronto, wait a while before you start looking at Calgary homes for sale. It’s important for your family to feel like their new house belongs to them, that it’s a place worthy of planting their roots.
Enjoy Familiar Pleasures
One good way to diminish the sensation of disconnect that comes with moving is to find out what hasn’t changed and focus on that. If any of your family members has a familiar pleasure they can indulge in, encourage or even facilitate that, if you can. Examples might include participating in hobbies like cooking, exercise, or collecting. Or you could arrange for a movie-and-game night with the whole family. Consider Netflix a therapeutic tool in this instance.
Contact Local Friends
It’s not always an option, but if you have any friends who live in the same city you just moved to, now is the perfect time to involve them in your family activities. This can not only help ease the pain of having other friends hundreds of miles away, it could possibly replace that pain with the joy of having other friends much closer than they once were.
Decelerate & Decompress
The worst thing you can do to your loved ones after a big move is hurry them. It’s understandable to want to finish the process of unpacking as soon as possible so as to transition smoothly into the next chapter of your life. Many times, however, your loved ones will want nothing more than to take a moment to breathe deeply and acclimate to their new surroundings. Your collection of Star Wars commemorative plates can wait.
Identify New Favorites
As your family gradually becomes accustomed to their new home, you should try to encourage them to find things, people, and places that they like and focus on them. Maybe your spouse has discovered an interesting store. Maybe your kids have found a particularly tasty takeout spot. These things can act as anchors, giving your family members something to latch onto and feel reassured by in the aftermath of a stressful move.
