Moving somewhere unfamiliar can stir up anxiety and homesickness, but this piece shows how mindfulness can ease that transition by helping you meet your feelings with acceptance rather than judgment. It offers practical habits such as decluttering to stay grounded in the present and setting personal goals so your days feel purposeful. Readers come away with simple techniques for settling into a new home with a calmer mind.
Adapting to change can be a difficult thing — especially if it’s in the context of changing your environment. You might feel anxious and have difficulties coping from being away from what you find familiar, be it your family, friends, or everything else you know.
However, you’ll get to learn so much about yourself by going through the process of moving. Being mindful about your experience can help you learn how to develop an accepting, non-judgmental and kind attitude towards any negative or positive thoughts and feelings you might have about your move.
That said, here are a few ways you can practice mindfulness as you adjust to your new living environment:
Neurologist Hannah McLane notes how decluttering can help with mindfulness, as it can help you stop worrying about problems in your home and focus on your work. Additionally, by reducing the number of your possessions, you’ll get to create more breathing room and evaluate what’s really important to you. Getting rid of unnecessary belongings can help you stay focused in the present, which is after all, what mindfulness is all about. Donate or throw away items you haven’t used in months, and try to stick to only the bare minimum. Your mindfulness practice will help you get rid of your “I-might-need-this” mentality, which can extend towards the feelings you may have about your move.
You’re bound to have some time to yourself after your move to unpack items and get used to your space. Daydreaming in Paradise recommends setting goals, as you can avoid letting days melt into one long, unbroken stretch. Set personal and professional goals, and ask yourself where you want to see yourself in your new place in six months to one year. Do you want to make new friends? Visit multiple places in and around the city? This way, you’ll get to make the most of your time adjusting to your new living environment and be mindful of your time.
You’ll need to start practising the art of staying in the present moment to truly accept your new living environment. Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings and watch them come and go. Acknowledge how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking, but don’t let it get in the way of what you need to do. With practice, you’ll get to focus more on the positives in front of you rather than the negatives that may stray in the back of your mind.
Getting rid of negative habits is a challenge, but it’s one that mindfulness can tackle. Understanding what your triggers are can help you change them — so long as you make these changes step-by-step. After all, forming good habits can take time, and breaking bad ones will take even longer. Write down and keep track of bad habits you want to get rid of, and try to tackle the easiest ones first. Then, once completed, you can move on to the next one on your list.
Meditation helps a lot with mindfulness. Our writer Lenard Sciancalepore suggests that meditation can be super helpful for your brain, as you can take a few moments to breathe, centre yourself, and be present in your body. You’ll get to tackle intrusive thoughts and negative feelings that occur as you adjust. Fortunately, there are plenty of apps you can use online, House of Wellness recommends apps such as Smiling Mind, Headspace, and Aura to help you get started on your meditative journey.