Finding the Motivation to Pack for Moving

The empty boxes have arrived and the magnitude of what you are about to do finally sets in. Those boxes will soon be filled with pieces of your life as you prepare to move from this home into the new one. Where do you even begin?

Packing can be incredibly overwhelming. Some days it’s tempting to shut the garage door and hide those empty boxes away, even though doing that will cause you more stress later on. If that’s the way you feel, there are a number of ways to boost your motivation and help you start and finish packing up your home.

Start with a plan

The first way to motivate yourself is creating a plan. Grab the family calendar and figure out which dates and times you can set aside to do some packing. While you’re marking them down, also take a moment to jot down which rooms you want to tackle each time. Remember to start with your out-of-season items, such as summer clothes, beach umbrellas, and Christmas lights, so you don’t have to undo all of your hard work to find something you need now.

Begin right away

Once you have your plan in place, don’t wait for the deadline to creep up on you. Start packing as soon as possible even if it’s only one box a day. That way, when moving day approaches, you will already have a head start on packing, which means there is less stuff to overwhelm and paralyze you.

Pack only what you actually want in your new home

Speaking of having less stuff, the other thing packing early allows you to do is sort through your belongings and decide what you want to bring with you, what should be recycled or tossed, and what you can give away or sell.

There are two main benefits to decluttering. One, it makes moving a bit cheaper, since there are fewer boxes for the movers to transport. And two, it prevents you from succumbing to the “clutter effect,” which, according to several studies, leads to higher stress levels and lower levels of life satisfaction, physical health, and mental health. (Read our post on cutting clutter for more tips on how to do this.)

Reward Yourself

For some people, getting everything packed up is enough of a reward to motivate them to do it; others might need a bit of external motivation to get it done, and that’s okay too. You don’t even have to wait until the whole house is packed before you give yourself a little treat. Celebrate the small steps like packing up all of the Blu-rays, or Halloween decorations. Just make sure they are little celebrations that don’t end up wasting hours of your time or else they will defeat their purpose, which is to motivate you to finish packing something else.

Go for a walk

One way you might reward yourself is by going for a walk. While it might seem counterintuitive to walk away from the unfinished packing, getting some fresh air can actually boost your energy levels and rekindle your desire to pack.

Have a packing party

Finally, if you still feel worn out and unsure where to even begin, have a packing party. Peer pressure and companionship are excellent motivators. So, invite some friends over, order pizza, crack open some beers and wine and chat with your friends as you all pack together.

With a good plan in place and a few friends to help, those empty boxes will be filled in no time. Request an estimate today so you can start your journey into your new home.