The 5 Hardest Things About Packing

Packing up your home before a move is a major task—to say it’s tough is an understatement. Here are five of the hardest things about packing for a move, with suggestions on how to make the process easier.

You Need to Cope with Change

Moving from one home to another is often a huge change. Couple that with the stress of packing and anxiety can set in. This can be especially difficult for children, or if you’re well-established in your current town. Acknowledge your feelings, talk to your family about how you’re dealing with packing everything up, and remember that not only is change inevitable, it’s often good.

You Could Find Yourself Overpacking

While packing up your belongings, you may find yourself thinking, “I don’t want to move all of this. I only need about half of it!” Avoid this by decluttering before you pack. You can donate, store, recycle or discard unwanted items.

You Have to Decide What to Keep

Yes, deciding what to keep and what to discard can be hard, but it will make moving so much easier. Go through your belongings one shelf, one closet, or one room at a time. You can follow Marie Kondo’s advice and keep only what “sparks joy,” or consider another method for deciding what to keep and what to get rid of.

You May Feel Rushed

When packing for a move it’s easy to feel rushed. You don’t have to feel that way, though! As soon as you know you have to move, start making your plans, and start packing a few weeks in advance, not a few days. Many of us have a tendency to get important things done last-minute. That doesn’t usually work out well, especially when getting ready to move. Keep your stress low by starting early.

You May Feel Lonely

Packing alone? That can feel lonely and overwhelming, especially as the boxes pile up and your current place begins to feel emptier. Get some help from family and friends. You may want to have a different friend over every couple of evenings, or plan a day to pack and ask a bunch of people you care about to help. Just make sure to feed them, and give them first dibs on items you were planning on giving away.