Unconventional Tips to Make Moving-In More Enjoyable

August 1, 2024

Unpacking after a move is something that we as professional organizers have helped many clients with. As you probably know, unpacking and figuring out where things go can be not only physically taxing, but mentally and emotionally burdensome as well. It takes planning, creative thinking, trial and error, experimentation, and experience to really dial in your home. In this post, I’ll give you some unconventional tips to help you make unpacking easier and more fun.

Get as far as you can with temporary solutions. Use small to medium sized Amazon boxes to group like items until you can figure out better bins. Use easy-to-assemble shelves that you already have on hand (or even planks of wood held up by boxes or cinder blocks) until you can come up with a more refined solution. Use Command Hooks until you figure out exactly where you want a more elaborate entryway system. Be patient with yourself instead of splurging on the wrong piece of furniture or organizing gadgets.
Isolate challenges. Let’s say you open a box with a bunch of little things you don’t know what to do with. Or some bigger things that need more problem-solving brain power. Unpack what you can, and consolidate the “issues” in a way where you can revisit them later when you have more capacity to deal with them. This may look like a recipe for creating Doom Boxes, but it’s actually a way to get you moving forward.
Create a “parking garage” list. Inevitably, you will find an abundance of projects that need to get fixed, finished, or some other action needs to be taken. Many of these don’t need to get done RIGHT NOW. Prioritize what needs to get done first, but keep track of all the other little things, so they don’t slip through the cracks.
Make shopping lists. Create a note on your phone called “Shopping List”. Within this list, create headings such as “grocery”, “hardware store”, “drug store”, “Target”, or wherever you like to shop. That way, your brain doesn’t have to remember all the little things you need to pick up, and you can bundle errands rather than making a special trip for one or two items.
Count your boxes. It can feel like you are drowning in a million boxes until you count them and realize there are really only 28 left to go. Make a simple tracking chart so you can watch that number go from 28 down to zero as you systematically unpack. Counting the boxes quantifies your to-do tasks. It makes the number tangible and achievable. It can give you a sense of control and less overwhelmed.
Take photos. It’s always so much fun to look back and see how far you’ve come. Take some before and after photos, photos of the moving process, and some silly photos too! Photos can also be a great way of shifting your perspective so you can visualize creative organizational or decorative solutions.
Take videos too! A lot more can be communicated in a video than in a photo. Videos are especially helpful if you’re feeling a little too stressed out. It sounds ridiculous, and I’m not sure how many people ever take me up on this tip: take a video of yourself speaking into the camera about the stress of moving (or whatever you want to express). Then watch yourself speaking. It adds an element of humor to the stress that you’re experiencing which can help your brain process the challenges. You will feel more motivated to overcome your hurdles. You never have to show anyone else these videos, and you can delete them after you watch them. Try it and let me know how it went for you!
Weave in other fun activities. Explore your new neighborhood! Meet new people. Get to know your neighbors. Don’t wait until you have everything completely done before you have fun. No matter if you’re just moving to a different home in your same town, or if you’re moving to a new city, find the hidden gems that are waiting for you. This will help keep you inspired to continue unpacking and building your nest.
“Luxuriate”. I use this term because I want to describe activities that you feel like you should put off before the “more important” work is done. Make art (or whatever feeds your soul). Do something that takes your brain out of survival mode. Give your mind a chance to process everything that’s going on. When you do this, you will generate more self-confidence. Decision making will become easier. You will find yourself in the right place at the right time more often.
Have plenty of healthy snacks on hand. This will help your mood and energy levels, which will help you break through the resistance to getting things done. Even if you’re like me and want to eat a bunch of peanut MnMs, have some veggies, protein, and healthy fats before you indulge.
Use post-it notes and/or blue tape and a sharpie. I know I mention this in lots of my articles, but labeling is a great way to reduce the stress of remembering where you put things! It also helps train your brain to put things back where they belong. You can remove the labels later, or make fancy pretty ones in the future if you prefer. Stick with the quick temporary ones until you’re sure things will stay where they are.
Hire a professional organizer! Need some extra support? Contact us to get some hands-on or virtual assistance.