Reduce Stress During Your Move to St Louis

Congratulations on your upcoming move to St. Louis! We know moving can be overwhelming, so we want to offer you some ideas on how you can cut stress in the incredibly stressful time of moving. Take a deep breath and let the moving process begin.

Clean out. Clutter is stressful. Minimize the junk that's clogging your closets, and you'll automatically breathe a sigh of relief. Clear the clutter from your home by organizing things you no longer need into three piles: Sell, Donate, and Toss. Put big-ticket or valuable items in the “sell” pile. Then snap some photos and list them on eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook. Get a tax deduction by donating non-saleable items to Goodwill or any other local thrift stores. Or brighten a friend or family members' day by giving them your old hand-me-downs.

Food clutter exists as well. Eat the things you have already bought and clean out your pantry and refrigerator.

Keep the calendar light. Find a babysitter who can watch your children. (Or save money by asking a friend or family member to watch your kids, and promise to return the favor in the future.) Request a day off work, or clear your schedule for the entire weekend. You'll achieve more by packing continuously for several hours than you will by packing in short bursts of time.

Collect boxes weeks in advance. Ask your friends if they have any extra boxes from their previous moves. Or visit local grocery stores and retail outlets, walk to the back (where the employees unpack the inventory), and ask if you can walk off with a stack of boxes. CostCo and Trader Joes' both keep a steady supply of boxes in-store.

Be organized. Label everything, create a moving notebook with all relevant and important information, and keep everyone on track with staying within a schedule and limiting everyone to 1 overnight bag for the move. Don't start packing without a strategic plan. One of the most efficient ways to pack your belongings is to methodically move from room-to-room. Pack everything in the family room, for example, before moving onto the bedroom.

Make deadlines. Nothing is more stressful than knowing that you can only start moving into your new home at 8 a.m., but you need to be out of your apartment at 12:00 noon that same day. Avoid this situation by building yourself ample time to make the transition.

Get everyone involved. Each family member should help with the move. If you are moving solo or just with one person, try to recruit friends or family to help. Everyone knows how tough moving can be—don't be afraid to ask for help!