I'm working with several people who plan to relocate tot his area, and also have a couple of friends who just went through significant relocation. So it made me think - are YOU feeling good about the move? Perhaps not.

I wrote about the psychological and emotional impact before , and having been through it (and yes, experiencing some pretty dramatic emotional stuff while doing so) I wanted to talk more about this. Most of the time we hear about all stuff you have to do:

• sell your your current home
• find an agent in your new locale
• search for a new home
• arrange for movers
• pack and get rid of stuff you don't want or need
• move

and all the while keeping your house clean, managing the kids and your personal and work life, and so on. How can you possibly do all this and keep your sanity? Well, it's ain't easy. But often we don't talk about the emotional end of this process.

Know this - you are going to feel more anxious, maybe occasional depression, excitement, general tension, and more. You will feel overwhelmed, possibly. It can affect your sleep, your eating habits, how you feel physically. It's normal...after all you are making a MAJOR change in your life and that of your family, and it's stressful. And if the move is NOT something you are choosing (say, a job transfer) then those feelings may be more negative. Feeling angry? Resentful? It's to be expected.

Give yourself permission for these feelings. Recognize why you are feeling as you do, even if there isn't a specific incident that is causing you to feel this way (generalized anxiety they call it). Take the time to relax when you can - by yourself and/or with your partner, spouse and kids. Go to dinner. Have a fun day at the zoo. Visit the spa. Whatever you can do to find some special time to enjoy your life and forget about all you have to do. And keep your focus on what is really important in your life - friends, family and your own personal well-being.

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!