Moving during the holidays.

Moving can be stressful enough, but undertaking a move during the holiday season can truly test your ability to handle difficult situations. Whether circumstances have made a holiday move necessary, or you have chosen to move during the holiday season to take advantage of time off from work and school, here are some tips to keep in mind when moving during the holidays:

• It doesn’t matter whether your move is local or long distance — make sure to hire a reliable, professional moving company as soon as possible. Point out to each prospective company that you plan to move during the holiday season, and make sure they will be available for you move, regardless of the date.
• If you are moving immediately before Christmas, be sure to put some extra thought into unpacking in your new home. When combining the hectic holiday season with a move, you may want to unpack only necessary household items and wait for the holidays to pass to unpack the rest of your home.
• Keep holiday decorations, giftwrapping and other related materials separated from your household items. If you’ve already begun shopping for gifts, keep them separate as well. By doing this you’ll be able to access them easily and reduce the stress caused by searching frantically for gifts.
• Don’t let the hustle and bustle of moving during the holidays ruin your holiday spirit. Play holiday music while packing and unpacking and do your best to create a festive atmosphere for you and your family.
• If you have young children make sure to create an age appropriate activity box that includes coloring books, puzzles and other activities to help keep them occupied while you move. Make sure they understand that even though they are moving during the holidays, they’ll still be getting gifts and celebrating the season.
• Make it a priority to take some time to relax, watch a holiday film, bake cookies or simply sit on the couch and read a good book. Take a mini vacation from all the stress and chaos around you.

Moving during the holidays doesn’t have to be a stressful or upsetting situation — just keep an open mind, embrace the season and enjoy the time you’ll be spend with your family. Happy holidays!