10 Ways to De-Stress After a Move

I received the following from Fry-Wagner, a large moving company, that I thought was worth passing along:

Studies show that moving is the third most stressful life change anyone will ever experience. Moving can be both a physical and emotionally exhausting experience. Once you have finally settled into your new home, it is important to take some time to relax. Below you will find 10 helpful ways to de-stress after your move.

1. Meditate: Take a few minutes out of your day to sit quietly with your eyes closed and relax. Listening to relaxing music, burning a candle, focusing on one specific image, and breathing deeply can help you relax.  Meditation allows your brain to shift into a neutral gear. During this time, it is easier to let go of all the thoughts that may have been weighing heavily on your mind. Research shows that those who meditate a few times a week become more resilient to stress over time.
2. Exercise: Exercise is usually the last thing that anyone wants to do when they are stressed or overwhelmed. However, when exercising, your brain releases “feel good” endorphins that help reduce stress. No matter if you go for a walk, or have an intense gym session, any kind of exercise is great for taking out all your stress.
3. Do Something Fun: Having a little fun is a great way to distract yourself from any stress. Try meeting up with some friends, going to see a movie, eating out for dinner, or practicing your favorite hobby. Whatever you love to do, do it. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself!
4. Listen to Music: Take some time out of your day to listen to your favorite music. Whether it be in the car, in the shower, at work, during exercise, or just at home when you’re alone; music can easily fit into your day. Just like exercise, listening to music releases “feel good endorphins”.  If you are unsure as to which genre is the best to listen to for relaxation, try listening to meditation music, instrumental, or classical.
5. Take a Bath: Dipping into a hot bath is a good way to reduce physical stress, especially after a move. Moving can take a toll on your body and put a lot of strain on your muscles. To relax your body, take a hot bath for twenty minutes.  Try adding things to your bath to help you relax like coconut oil, lavender, Epsom salts, or bath bombs.
6. Make an Un-Do List: Instead of overwhelming yourself with making a list of all the things you need to do, make a list of all the things you want to stop doing. The undo list or brain dump, is a new trending stress relieving technique where you write down all the things that are bothering you or that you wish you would stop doing/thinking. By writing all your negative thoughts and worries down on a piece of paper, you are releasing them from your thoughts in a healthy way.
7. Eat Healthy: It seems that when we are stressed our bodies tend to crave foods that are not healthy for us. We typically gravitate toward ice cream, fast food, pizza, or anything deep fried and greasy. It is important to remember that those kinds of foods tend to increase our stress levels instead of lowering it. Some good foods to eat to help you de-stress are celery, garlic, licorice, chocolate, nuts, and berries.
8. Turn off your Phone: It’s funny to think that a little inanimate object can cause so much stress, but our cell phones are our lifelines. Our phones house our list of reminders, important dates and appointments, which seem to always cause stress. Not to mention there always seems to be someone trying to contact you. Sometimes it’s hard to get a break from it all. When you see fit, set aside some time during the day or once a week to be away from your phone. Turn it off, or put it on silent and tuck it away in a drawer or leave it in another room. During this time, you can even practice some of the other stress relieving exercises above to keep you occupied.
9. Color: Coloring is one of the newest stress relieving trends. You can find an adult coloring book almost anywhere these days. As silly as it may sound, coloring is a major stress reliever. Pick up a book and a box of colored pencils, markers, or crayons, and color away all your stress.
10. Laugh: Laughter is the best medicine after all! Laughing actually lowers cortisol levels. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone. Try watching a funny movie, comedy skit, or talk to a friend who never fails to make you laugh!

Of course, you don’t have to wait til you move to do these things either; go de-stress somewhere!