Why is Relocation Often Stressful? Tips for Dealing with the Stress of Relocation

Any move no matter the distance can be a flurry of different emotions. Moving can mean the start of a new exciting adventure in life or it could be brought on by less-than-ideal life changes. It can be especially emotional when moving a long distance to a new location like Maui.

What is it that makes relocation so stressful?

There are many different factors in relocating long distances in a move and some of them can feel overwhelming. Some of the biggest factors of relocation that can contribute to stress include:

A significant and impactful change

No matter the reason for relocating a long distance to the island of Maui whether it is exciting or necessary for other reasons it is a huge life change to pick up from one place and move to a completely different one that is far from "home."

Leaving all the comforts and familiarity of your new place even if you are excited and have always dreamed of relocating to Maui can bring some feelings of anxiety, sadness, losing out, letting go, and more. Many things will be different and there will be a new way of conducting daily life outside of your comfort zone at least for a while. Large changes in any capacity are obviously stressful.

The associated costs

Moving a significant distance from one place to another will involve an increased moving cost as compared to moving across town. This is also true when moving to the island of Maui where the cost of living is the highest in the country. Making sure that all of the extra costs are accounted for can be a stressful factor.

Making sure everything gets where it's supposed to go

The farther distance you move the more difficult it can become to make sure all of your belongings are being tracked properly and get where they need to go. Moving is a time-consuming process and you are adding time and details and attention with a further amount of distance between your two destinations.

Tips for dealing with relocation-related stress

Often as we are going through a busy time in our life like moving things are going to be stressful but what some people can't make the mistake of doing is ignoring the stress and leaving it unchecked. Stress that is ignored can impact both mental and physical well-being. It is always in your best interest to make sure you acknowledge any stress and do what you can to take care of it. Here are some tips on coping with relocation stress.

Recognize how you are feeling

When you are feeling overwhelmed or like things are out of control it is good to take some time to pause and assess what could have brought it on. Sometimes it could be that the problems that have popped up from your relocation or occupying too much of your attention. Recognizing what you are feeling and where it could be coming from can help you to acknowledge it so that you can better focus on what needs your attention right now as well as recognize how big the problem actually is. Sometimes simply taking time to tell someone what is stressing you out can help you to realize how big the issue really is and hope you better focus on what needs your attention right now.

Give yourself plenty of time

Picking up and moving to a completely new destination with a new culture and atmosphere will require time to get used to. Any move will take time from your daily life schedule and relocating to a brand new place like an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean will take time to get used to. Don't try to rush yourself through making huge life adjustments to your new location. Leave yourself plenty of time to get adjusted from one way of living to another. Be patient with yourself.

Don't expect yourself to unpack and set up your house within the first two days that you are there. Make sure to take some time for things that are life-giving and positive for you. Even if it means taking 20 minutes to call a friend or family member from back home and let them know how you were doing. Remember simply vocalizing what is going on can be extremely helpful.

Hire the right people to help

Don't think that you have to do everything in this major relocation to Maui on your own. Employing the right professional help to make your transition as smooth as possible is key. It starts with hiring a local real estate agent to help you find a Maui home that will best fit your needs in a brand-new environment. It can also mean hiring people to help you pack and make getting all of your belongings to your new home a smoother process. If you have the ability to, make the investment in hiring as much help as possible for all of the details of moving.

If you need help finding a Maui home because you are relocating to the island we are here to help. We are experts in Maui real estate and make it our priority to help all of our clients find Maui homes that best suit them.