Packing

Make sure you collect boxes of all sizes from friends, local shops and supermarkets in plenty of time for the move. Boxes from supermarkets and off-licenses are often far more sturdy and useful than those which you can buy flat-packed from post offices. Keep newspapers and scrap paper and buy several rolls of bubble wrap too. Do not leave the packing to a few days before the move. Make sure you make a list of your priorities when it comes to packing and follow it. It is also useful to make a plan of the new house and colour code the rooms e.g. red for the kitchen, blue for the living room. Then, you can colour code the boxes in relation to where its contents need to go in the new house. This will make unpacking far less stressful and the fact that you have a system will psychologically reduce anxiety as well.

Do not give in to the temptation to completely fill up large boxes because this will render them too heavy to move. Pack heavy items in smaller boxes rather than large ones as these are easier to lift and move without breaking. One helpful tip for packing is to consider household items which have a useful dual purpose. For example, pillows, blankets, duvet covers etc can all be used to wrap valuable or breakable items in.

The day of the move

Keep valuable documents on your person during the move, as well as jackets, coats and handbags. It may be worth simply placing such items in your car in the morning in order to ensure that the company you have hired to help you move do not pack them into their van. Make sure that the first box to be unpacked in the new house will be one containing a CD player, toys for the children, a kettle, drinks and biscuits. Playing some uplifting music and having a cup of tea whilst unpacking can transform your mood instantly and keeping the children entertained will reduce stress for them and for you. You could alternatively arrange for the children to be looked after by a relative or friend during the day of the move if you think this would help.

Follow the same healthy eating and drinking pattern you adopted during the build-up to the move in order to ensure you feel at your best. It is also good to view the moving experience as one which is in fact beneficial to your health! Instead of focussing upon the mental stress you feel it may be causing you, concentrate on what it is doing to you physically. Moving all those heavy boxes up and down stairs saves you having to go to the gym after all!

Do not try to unpack everything on the day of your move. It is a good idea to concentrate on getting just one room (perhaps the living room) completely unpacked and looking as you want it to look. Then there will definitely be a comfortable retreat for you and your family when the unpacking gets too stressful. It will also act as a place to eat your dinner in the evening. Think about ordering a takeaway as the prospect of finding pots and pans and then cooking a meal is enough to make anyone feel stressed! Use this meal to reflect positively on the day's events and to unwind. Again, it is important to get an early night so that you feel fully refreshed the next day and ready for the next step towards making your new house feel like home.

Try not to be too idealistic in your initial views of the new house. Of course it will feel and look different to your old house, you would be let down if it didn't! The house is also bound to look different to when you viewed it, as it will have your possessions in rather than those of the previous home-owners. Set yourself small mental goals for changing the house to fit your preferences and put them into practice when you are ready.