After trying our Be Our Guest program and spending two days with us at Conservatory At Champion Forest, what’s next? For many, it’s time to prepare for a move. However, when should you prepare to move? Should you move in right away? Are you ready to leave your current living arrangement? Are you ready to give up staying with family or friends? There are so many questions that can quickly come up, but it’s all right! Here’s what you can do to prepare for a move to our independent senior living community.
Make a Plan
Part of preparing for your move to senior living is creating a detailed plan. Make sure you know the floorplan of the apartment unit that you will be moving to. What can you do to make sure that everything feels like home? Start by making a list of all the things you need and want in a new apartment. Is there anything unique about where you are moving? Remember: Everything we do involves other people — we shouldn’t overlook that during such an important time. Do you need to share items such as linens or kitchenware with others? Once you have your list, take it one step further and create a calendar of what needs to happen when packing up and moving out of your current space.
Visit Your New Home Frequently before the Move
Before moving into the community, visit as often as possible and familiarize yourself with what it will be like to live there. Interacting with the staff and residents or visiting other homes can give you a feel for what it will be like when you move in.
Focus on the Positives
One of the easiest ways to make a stressful situation even more stressful is to dwell on all those things that could go wrong. Instead, spend your time thinking about what’s going right and try to think as positively as possible. Be around other people who are positive and supportive of you moving forward with your plans. If there are people in your life who may try to stand in your way, it might be best if you cut ties with them before making any decisions about a move. It also doesn’t hurt to ask trusted friends or family members for advice or moral support during a potentially stressful time.
Don’t Dispose of Things Immediately
When you are clearing away your belongings to get ready for your move, it is very easy to start getting rid of things right away; however, there are many things that can be sold or donated. You might want to keep some personal belongings in storage if you think you might need them again in the future. One way to do that is to rent a storage unit close by and make multiple trips back and forth instead of taking everything with you at once.
Set Deadlines
The best way to ensure you are not procrastinating is to set a deadline. A lot of people will set a date for when they should be done packing, but they will leave themselves an easy out by saying if I don’t get it done by then, I’ll just do it later. Don’t make that mistake! If you say you’re going to do something by a certain date, make sure that’s when it gets done.
Pack with Confidence
The excitement of packing up for a new place is hard to contain, but being prepared is key. Moving can be time-consuming and laborious, so planning ahead will help cut down on stress. When you have enough time to get organized and pack carefully, you’ll be less likely to leave something behind or forget about an important item that needs to be packed. Take some time now to think about what goes where and keep it as simple as possible.
