Moving across the world or just down the block, both of these things have something in common: Stress. You need to coordinate with movers, buy your new property and make sure it is ready for move in day, sell your old property and get a fair price for it, and make sure that for the hundredth time you haven’t forgotten anything. If you are moving to Africa then you might be feeling a mountain of stress, and no one wants to feel that way.
Here are some ways to make your move to Africa less stressful, and maybe even have some fun while you move too!
1. Start Small And Pack Slow
Often when moving we try to do too much too fast, and put things off until the last minute. Instead of doing that, which causes a ton of stress you need to do the opposite. Start small, make a list of tasks that need doing a few months in advance before your move, and just start trying to do one or two a day.
Also, do the same when you pack. Start small and pack up just the things you know you are never going to use between now and the move. Then start packing up one room at a time, slowly clearing out your house until only the essentials are left unboxed. While it might seem easier to just let everything go until you have to do it, you will find a lot more stress coming down on your shoulders if you do!
2. Stay Organized And Keep What You Need In One Place
Moving to Africa requires a lot of things. Passports, documents, statements, receipts, and other paperwork that you need to have with you at all times. This means that you don’t want all of that important paperwork boxed up, thrown away, or forgotten about because you will need it on the day of the move!
Make sure to keep everything organized, labeled, and in their own separate areas to avoid mistakes like that happening. You should have all your documents in their own separate place, and make sure that they go back to that place after you are done with them until the day of the move.
This also goes for your moving boxes as well. Make sure your boxes are labeled, stacked together, and stored together. After all, you don’t want to open a box in the bathroom and see that it has all your kitchen stuff in it. You also don’t want to forget anything and have to order and start shipping household goods to South Africa.
3. Figure Out What Excites You About The Move
After a while, we tend to become apathetic about our moves. Instead of moving to a location because we want to have fun, explore a new opportunity, or see a new part of the world, we are just doing it because we have to and otherwise we would simply drown in boxes. Remind yourself why you are going to Africa, the opportunities you will find there, and what you are excited about as well.
By reigniting your passion for the move and the destination, you will find that all that stress rolls over into excitement. Then the second your plane touches down and you feel like exploring, you can do some of the things you were excited about in the first place.
4. Do The Research
A big move can be very scary, especially if you have never been to Africa before. One of the best things you can do is research Africa and get as much as you can prepare for you before you go. Buy your house and make sure it is move in ready, get a job and make sure you have your start date, and figure out what the culture of Africa is like.
The more comfortable you can get with where you are moving to, the more prepared you are going to feel and the less stressed out you are going to be about the move!
Finally, Know That Stress Is Normal
Moving is very nerve wracking for a lot of people, and moving to a brand new area of the world can bring more stress to the equation. While it might not make the move to Africa less stressful, you can reassure yourself that moving stress is normal and everyone moving will get some degree of it.
The important thing is dealing with it and then figuring out how to learn to enjoy your move to Africa!
