I want to take a moment and talk a bit about the emotional and psychological impact of relocation (having been through it so many times, and with my psychology background). While a significant move will have an impact no matter who you are, it does affect people differently, both emotionally and physically. It is a major change in your life and a major adjustment, for you, your spouse or partner, and for any children. You may not always be aware of how it is affecting you, but the important thing is to realize that these feelings are very normal.

You will likely experience a variety of feelings after the decision has been made (or perhaps made for you) -   sorrow (leaving friends, perhaps family, and familiar surroundings) and maybe depression, fear,  anxiety, and excitement, to name a few. Any move causes a range of emotions and lots of tension and stress - a relocation is likely to cause more. It is typical that people feel overwhelmed with all they must deal with - selling their home, finding a new one far away, traveling for house hunting, dealing with financial matters, people to see and say good-by to, packing, talking with movers, keeping the house in order to show to buyers, real estate and relocation paperwork to review and sign, on top of the normal everyday stuff like kids, chores at home and full time jobs. Yep, you are going to feel tired, and may have problems sleeping, with all you are thinking about. Other common physical issues can be loss of appetite, or the opposite, increased smoking and/or drinking, headaches, stomach aches, a feeling of burning in the chest, and more. You might feel edgy, or that you are having a harder time controlling your temper even when minor things occur.

The excitement about a move can be help deal with many of these feelings, but that in itself can cause tension. But keeping a positive attitude about what is happening and the future will help keep it all in perspective. Feelings of being overwhelmed may be subdued a bit by keeping lists of the things that need to be done, along with due dates - such organization will keep you focused on what needs to be done.

If you have kids, you will likely find they are feeling the impact too - their will have their own concerns and fears about leaving, perhaps less so at the very young ages, but will likely all feel the emotions you are experiencing. You may also see some changes in behavior , as well as in their sleeping and eating patterns. Talking about what is happening, the excitement about moving to a new home and anything your child wants to discuss can help, as can enlisting their assistance in getting prepared for the move and letting them know in advance when things will be happening.

If, in the relocation, the family is going to be split up for some time (one of you, for example, goes on to the new location for work and the other remains at home with the kids) you can expect this will have an even greater impact (having been through it twice myself). If you can arrange it, make sure there are opportunities to visit each other as a family during the separation, several times if the separation is more than a few weeks - you may be able to negotiate this arrangement as part of a relocation package.

Trying to maintain as much normality as possible in schedules and daily life, despite all the changes, keeping a positive attitude, and being organized around all that has to be done will go a long way toward minimizing the tensions of your relocation. But recognizing that this is all normal and will pass with time is important too! Good luck and have fun!

RE: The Psychological and Emotional Impact of Relocation