Moving to a new home can be a trigger for many adults with anxiety. There are a lot of changes associated with moving – adapting to a new place, making new friends, learning your way around a new city – and going through all of these changes at once can easily cause you to feel overwhelmed and anxious. In addition to continuing to regulate your anxiety with methods recommended by your doctor, you can use these three strategies to ease your anxiety during a move.

Adopt a regular exercise program before the move and stick to it after the move.

Exercise has been shown to combat feelings of anxiety, so getting plenty of exercise throughout the moving period will ensure you're more able to concentrate on important tasks -- like packing, hiring a  moving company, and finding a new apartment  -- instead of just feeling overwhelmed and anxious all of the time. Also, if you adopt a specific exercise routine before you move and stick to it even after you move, it will serve as a constant in your life. Everything else might change when you move, but your exercise routine will stay the same. It's reassuring to have something familiar like that to focus on when you're in a new place.

Make sure you choose an exercise routine that you will be able to do in relatively the same manner when you move. Running is a good choice, since you can basically set out for a run from anywhere. A yoga or Pilates routine to an online video works well too, since you can access the same workout wherever you have WiFi or even 4G connection through your smartphone.

Schedule your "moving focus time" and concentrate on other aspects of your life when it's not "moving focus time."

Continually thinking about the move and planning the move can really ramp up your anxiety. Yes, there is some thinking and planning associated with moving, and you cannot neglect these tasks. However, it's a mistake to let them overtake your entire life and manner of thinking. Designate time in your schedule each day to focus on moving-related tasks.

 For instance, you could pencil in "moving focus time" between 6 pm and 8 pm each night. When it's not "moving focus time," don't let yourself think about moving. Concentrate on other aspects of your life – like your friends, work, and hobbies. You'll feel less like moving is taking over your life, and that will help keep your anxiety under control.

Keep in mind that even people who do not regularly suffer from anxiety often feel some degree of stress and anxiousness leading up to a move. The tactics above probably won't make you super-excited about moving if this is something you generally find stressful and unappealing, but they will make it more pleasant so you can survive the process with fewer breakdowns.

For more tips on moving and storage, contact a professional like M Dyer & Sons Inc.

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