Leaving home is not always easy. Homesickness, loneliness, stress and anxiety are all common feelings that may come up during your transition to independence. Even the happiest and most confident young people can struggle.
The stress can come from the fear of the unknown. You have become so familiar with where you are from that thinking about moving to a new place can be terrifying. You also become anxious about planning your move and settling into your new place.
In any case, it's still valuable to understand the effects of moving to a new home. Because the fact is that moving is traumatic. And not just for adolescents and teens. According to the University Hospital System of Northeastern Ohio, moving is one of the top five traumatic events in life.
If you had second thoughts about moving to a new home in 2022, you're not alone. Three out of four Americans say they had regrets about relocating last year, according to a recent survey by Home Bay, a real estate brokerage. Just under half of the respondents said they cried at some point during the move, too.
When saying goodbye to someone you love or care about, you might feel uncomfortable or experience profound sadness. You may also fear the friendships you might lose in the future. At times, feeling the pain of loss may make people want to keep to themselves to try to prevent the hurt of losing someone again.
A recent study shows that moving is reported as one of the most stressful life events by adults around the world. The study indicated that moving was often connected to a plethora of negative mental and physical health risks, so if you are having a hard time adjusting to life in a new place, you are far from alone.
Moving away from home means your routines and lifestyle are interrupted, which can lead to anxiety and distress. Your usual habits and routines can't be depended on for comfort in your new situation, especially if the environment is culturally different from what you're used to.
Some people struggle to let go of painful memories or relationships or to move on from past experiences because they believe that whatever has happened to them is part of their identity.
Relocation stress syndrome is a nursing diagnosis characterized by symptoms such as anxiety, confusion, hopelessness, and loneliness. It usually occurs in older adults shortly after moving from a private residence to a nursing home or assisted-living facility.
If you've recently bought a house, you probably have just encountered a time full of stress, upheaval through moving, a lack of sleep and even a loss of leisure time. All of these factors might be contributing to your emotions feeling a little down.
Homesickness occurs during a time of change and is a natural response to loss and adjustment, usually a normal process experienced by many adults living or travelling away from home. Even though we may have chosen to move or travel to new places, we may still feel homesick.
Most frequently this relates to the child's anxiety about his or her parents, but it could relate to another close caregiver. Less often, separation anxiety disorder can also occur in teenagers and adults, causing significant problems leaving home or going to work. But treatment can help.
Anxiety caused by traveling stress
If you are one who tightly follows routines, all the moving around, being in a different place every day, feeling unsure about what happens next ramps up your anxiety.
So, can moving make you happier? Likely yes, if it comes with general improvements in your living environment, social network, and work-life balance. But it's far from a cure-all, and you're unlikely to notice a change in how you feel if your move doesn't offer more than just a superficial change in scenery.
Moving gives us a sort of psychological “breakpoint” that makes it easier to think about where we are in life, and do some deep self-reflection. While deep self-reflection may be scary, it has many benefits.
Big changes require us to face the unknown. It's natural to feel uneasy when things feel like they're outside of our control! Sometimes, the fear of moving out starts as early as the moment you go hunting for a new home. This is also an understandable source of stress.
The most painful goodbyes are the ones never said, but the heart already knows it's over.
“The hardest goodbye is the one shared with someone you've spent the most time. The unbearable pain of losing someone woven into the tapestry of who you are is a lingering agony that reminds you with each breath a part of you is missing.
Moving forces us to step outside of our comfort zone into a life of the unknown. For this sole reason, moving can create uncertainty. It is important to be able to identify why moving is stressful in order to help aid the anxieties of it.
Give Yourself Time to Adjust
After moving to a new city, there can be a period of culture shock. If you're feeling overwhelmed, remember that there's no set time for how long it takes to adjust to a new city. Give yourself at least a year to get comfortable to your new life.
According to most psychologists, it takes about 21 days to settle into a new home. In this article, we will take a look at some ways in which you can make your house a home from the moment you move in.