As I approach the final days before my move, when all about me is no longer
in its usual place and I am beginning to feel like a displaced person. I am
trying to do what I remind the clients whom I help to move to do, and that is to
take short, calming breaks; a walk; read an interesting brief article; go out
for a quick meal — any change of scene that will relieve the stress and help you
remain calm.
This is vitally important because we know that after death
and divorce, making a move is one of the biggest stress producers. Chronic
stress exposes the body to stress hormones that narrow the blood vessels and
ramp up blood pressure, increasing the risk of stroke.
Research in
Denmark found that people who reported feeling highly stressed had an 89 percent
higher risk of dying after a stroke than those who reported feeling little
stress.
Experts suggest some of the following ways to manage your
emotions and avoid stress:
-Be aware of your feelings. Pay attention to what gets you upset and what
calms you down.
-Take an aforementioned break. Flying off the handle
never helps. Take time out to meditate or do something physical.
-Get
some perspective. How important is this situation? Are your reactions over the
top? If someone else is having a “bad day,” refuse to let it affect
yours.
-Analyze the situation. Think about what is really bothering you
and why. You don’t have to bottle up your feelings, but you need to express them
appropriately.
-Get help if you need it. Counseling or talking with a
friend can help. (For me, this has meant saying “yes” to friends’ offers of help
in packing.)
I have very much missed my exercise swim class these past
weeks, but balancing my work and a move just didn’t leave time for that as well.
Anyway, you get ample exercise cleaning out closets, dresser drawers, the
basement and by packing boxes.
Unless you have enough sleep, concentration, planning, problem solving, reaction time and even IQ suffer. A person who has been awake for 21 hours is said to function as poorly as someone who is legally drunk. (However, I have been known to remark to friends that the best way to make quick decisions about what to get rid of when moving is in that carefree, nothing-really-matters state that complete inebriation produces.)
These next weeks, as I live out of a suitcase during a complete kitchen renovation in my new “digs,” I will let you know if I am successful at following my own advice. Life has come full circle, and I’m going back to the way I started out ... Ready or not, apartment living, here I come!
P.S. Many thanks to so many friends and pet lovers who responded when I wrote about the need to find new homes for my two cats. Sue Wharfe of The Shoreline Village Association has been helpful, but I still need to find a home for my remaining cat, Ginger.
Contact Jean Cherni, certified senior adviser for Senior Living Solutions and Pearce Plus, a helpful, full-service program for seniors contemplating a move, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net.
