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Moving is one of the top stressors a person can experience, and stress is not good for people living with MS. When my family and I moved, it was in the middle of a heat wave, in the summer, in Arizona, which made things even more challenging. Combine the stress and the heat factors together and I think this experience made me a reluctant expert on moving with MS. Here is what I learned.

Don’t let stress spoil the moment. Everything with a move presents stress. From the time you submit an offer, to the time you close and move, each moment carries some level of stress. Stress can lead to an exacerbation. Try to keep the big picture in mind when you start to feel stressed or overwhelmed. Remember the move is temporary and at the end of your move you’ll be home.

Declutter, downsize, and donate. When you live in a place for an extended period of time, you accumulate a lot of stuff that ends up getting put away in a closet or drawer, out of sight and out of mind. It isn’t until you are ready to move that you are faced with the decisions of whether to hang onto this stuff or to let it go. Moving is the perfect opportunity to donate items you haven’t seen or used in years. I know there is nostalgia attached to these items, but my litmus test is if I haven’t seen or used it in the last three years, it can be donated. 

Moving is emotional, have plenty of Kleenex on hand. Packing up the past few years of our lives, and the only home the kids had ever known, was not easy emotionally. It brought back a lot of memories, which made it difficult to say goodbye. If you are preparing to move, be prepared to get emotional. The stress of moving can also trigger the emotions. Even though I was just moving across town, it was hard to say goodbye to the old neighbors and neighborhood. Just set the expectation that it is going to get emotional, so you can be prepared when the time comes.

Expect unexpected expenses. Unexpected expenses add up quickly. Make sure when you are planning to move, you set aside and save money for these unexpected expenses. This way you are covered when something you weren’t planning for suddenly pops up.

Make sure to contact the utility companies ASAP. Electricity can be done remotely, but when the water is shut off, someone from the water company has to come out and turn it back on. I learned that the hard way when I turned on the faucet and nothing came out. Then I called and they said it takes at least one business day to process the request. In my case, that meant I had no water through the weekend, in Arizona, in the middle of the summer. Don’t do what I did and make sure you get the utilities put in your name ASAP.

Hire professionals. I tried to save money by doing a lot of things by myself, but I know I also have had MS for 16 years. I am not as physically strong as I used to be. I reached out to friends and neighbors in the area for referrals for movers, contractors, and handymen who could help me with projects that needed to be done that were too physically taxing for me to do on my own. By finding the right people for the job, it not only prevented me from overexerting myself physically, but it also gave me peace of mind that the job would get done right so I didn’t have to stress about it. 

Moving is about closing one chapter in your life and beginning a new one. Even though it can be stressful and emotional, take time to enjoy the moment because the first time you turn the key to that new house is the moment it becomes your new home.