Relocation Depression: How to Overcome
Relocation Depression: How to Overcome
Change is the only constant in life. Some changes are happy and some are disheartening. And moving is considered as one of the topmost life-changing and hardest events after the death of a loved one and job loss. The experts at the top rated out of state moving companies explain that you obviously feel secure at a place where you have spent all your life. Living in your hometown gives you a feeling of belongingness and pride. You have your favourite café and not to forget the grocery store around the corner of the street that was your go-to place for every small grocery need. And when you are so connected to someplace, it is hard to move away and stay somewhere totally new. You may feel out of place and this feeling may go overboard too.
Moving can be exciting for some but it has its own dark side. There are people who get excited at the name of moving as the feeling of something new coming their way fascinates them. Relocation depression is one of the hardest parts of a moving process. Some people feel too lonely to go out to socialize and start a new life. Though moving brings a happy change in some cases, it may go all dark too. You may feel a lack of energy and motivation towards life. And, before you start regretting your next move, let us understand the signs and causes of post-move depression and most importantly, how can we avoid and manage this unwelcomed mental health condition.
Some of the common relocation depression symptoms are:
- Losing interest in routine activities
- Avoiding social gatherings and people in general
- Overwhelming response to things and situations.
- The feeling of worthlessness and emptiness
- Difficulty in breathing
- Insomnia or disrupted sleeping patterns
- Anger issues
- Excessive screen time
- Increased intake of alcohol/drugs
- Social anxiety
Relocation Depression: Causes
Moving creates complex emotions and some people find it hard to deal with these expected and unexpected changes. There can be various reasons that can cause relocation depression and some of the most common are as follows:
- Fear of the unknown and fear of the moving process. Some people are not even sure of their moving decision and this fear triggers their mental health.
- You may feel anxious about the moving planning, process, and after-move life.
- You may feel depressed and overwhelmed at the thought of leaving your near and dear ones behind. Some people even miss their go-to spots at their old place. Lack of feeling of belongingness causes all the more chaos in your mind and you start missing your friends, family, and even your driving routes at your old place.
- Moving is an expensive event and finances related to it may also cause depression in people.
- Moving from one place and settling at another is a time-consuming process and feeling of uncertainty during this transition is another big cause of relocation depression.
- Moving can be challenging in many ways; your kids may take time in adjusting to the new surroundings, you may find it difficult to balance work and home in a new setup, and small things like dealing with the utility companies play a big role in this self- raising disease.
How to Deal with Post-moving Depression
Managing anxiety and depression is a tricky task that is very challenging but not impossible. It may take a while to treat it that too among all the moving-related chaos.
Plan Your Move
A planned and well-executed move gives a feeling of accomplishment. You can consider creating lists and timelines related to your move to achieve your goal well. This one small achievement will give you a feeling of pride and you will feel good.
Accept that the Change is Hard
Denial is the root of many mental problems. Accept the fact that change is hard and it is going to take time for you to adjust to the new surroundings. Make sure that you do not avoid the feeling of loneliness; try to find ways to overcome this feeling instead. Find different ways to overcome your fear of uncertainty and being alone.
Decorate Your New Home
Make sure you decorate your new home in your style and add colours of your choice. You can do all those experiments with the interior designing skills that you always wanted to do. You are free to do anything till you create a social circle at your new place. Bring your favourite plants and other decorative material, this will give a feeling of belongingness to the place and you will get positive vibes. This will definitely help in managing your mood in a good way. You can even consider lighting candles or fairy lights in the evenings while you enjoy your coffee with light relaxing music playing by your side.
Meditate
Meditation is the solution to almost all the problems in the world. Once you are done organizing your home and you have decorated it well start meditating. You can choose a time in the day preferably morning to meditate. Starting your day with deep breathing will fill your whole day with never-ending energy. Meditation will also help in creating a sense of mindfulness and intention for the whole day.
Self-Care
You have just completed the big task of moving your home and you surely deserve a treat. Don’t expect anyone else to applaud for you, treat yourself instead. Give yourself some reward for all the hard work that you did. Take some time out for yourself; get a body massage, have a hot water shower with your favourite scented essential oils, burn candles, and just relax. Go to a nearby salon and get pampered. Order your preferred meal from a restaurant and treat yourself. All this may look pointless, but these small self-care acts can enhance your mental health to a great level.
Know Your Place
Go out and meet people and visit places. This will make you feel connected to the place and you will start feeling at home soon. Know that all your hard work and mental health will pay back eventually. You have moved due to a reason and let that reason keep you going.
You can easily deal with your depression issues post move with these tips and ensure a fresh start of the life post move.