We all have heard that moving can be as stressful as death in the family, divorce or other major life changing event. Considering the number of times we have moved in the past several years we have heard this from many different people. When you review the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale listed on the cliving.org site and tally up the factors that go into a move like: business readjustment, change in financial state, change to a different line of work, change of responsibilities at work, change of living conditions, change in residence, leaving friendships and support networks, and so on you will see that a move can tally up very high on the scale. Therefore, it is crucial to do what ever one can to reduce or limit the stress level of a move. Perhaps one of the most effective ways to do this is to remember WHY you are moving in the first place and make sure that you don’t loose site of this key factor.
Well, we are moving once again. This time we are moving from the house sitting arrangement that we had in North Vancouver to our rental house. We had our container of personal possessions that we hadn’t see for the past 9 months delivered and with the help of friends we unloaded the contents in a couple of hours. This is always the easiest part of the move and the hard and stressful part of moving is unpacking and setting up the house and garage.
So far this move has been less stressful than others primarily because we are working hard to remember why we are here in North Vancouver—which is to give our boys the opportunity improve their downhill racing skills and eventually turn professional. With this “why” in mind we have managed to lessen the stress on the boys and us significantly. Keeping our focus in mind has also helped us make what has turned out to be several wise decisions. We took possession of the new rental home early so that we could take time to get bedrooms and the kitchen set up to the point where we could live. The extra time will also allow us to go back to the house were just living at and clean up at a pace that will ensure that we limit the stress and still do a good job. Another wise move had more to do with serendipity then it did with planning.
As soon as I knew when we would get possession of the house I started searching for a trampoline and managed to located one that we picked up and set up the second day of the move. The couple of hours we spent which included driving out to the site, disassembling the trampoline and then returning and re-assemble the trampoline have contributed so significantly to our boys positive attitude. Instead of having the boys slog through unpacking we let them spend a couple of hours practicing their tail whips, tables, bar spins and all the other tricks that they are working to add to their repertoire of biking stunts. Not only are they getting a wonderful workout on the trampoline they are working together, encouraging each other and are having fun during the move. When they come back in to do work they perform at a higher and more efficient level; there really has been no time lost.
In addition to allowing the boys to take long breaks on the trampoline, we have also been shuttling the boys up and down Cyprus mountain so that they get in their riding time. I have to be honest that I would much rather buckle down and get everything unpacked and get the shop and the house set up but we did come out to North Vancouver so that the boys could work on their riding skills. Levi and Caleb has been weight training, road biking and unlike most teenage boys, have started eliminating junk food from their diets and have been learning how to eat for performance. When you factor in their home education high school studies they are very busy and already living in a stressful state preparing for the up coming race season. Therefore, when the weather is clear and they get a phone call from a friend who wants to ride in the afternoon we not only say yes but either Marilyn or I will shuttle the boys and their friends up the mountain. It is a matter of priorities.
Finally, when you consider that the boxes have sat in the container for the past 9 months—sitting a couple more hours or days in the house or garage before they get unpacked isn’t going to make that much difference. YES, this state of disorder is driving Marilyn and I nuts and if we let it, the stress can build. But when you get a thumbs up from your son as you watch him do tricks on the trampoline or when the boys and their friends ride up to the truck dripping in sweat and mud and pull off their helmets to reveal huge grins of satisfaction and you hear them laugh and talk about the great ride down you know you are doing the right thing.
Therefore, the best way to deal with the stress of moving is to simply remember why you have made the move and keep the bigger more important goals in mind.
