Relocating to a new residence is widely considered to be one of the most stressful experiences that one can go through in their lifetime. It should come as no surprise that the upheaval caused by moving house, especially interstate moving, is one of the most disruptive life events, ranking up there with the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, and financial strain. When it comes to working from home, how exactly does one go about doing so in the event that they are relocating?

There are times when you won’t be able to control the completion date, you won’t be able to control certain things that are happening in your company, you might be expecting important phone calls and emails, and your customers or clients might still need to get in touch with you. 

The upheaval caused by moving is not just limited to the days spent packing and unpacking at the other end; it also includes the never-ending process of viewing potential new homes, the time spent doing research online, the disruption caused by changing schools, the mental and emotional strain that comes along with it, and the never-ending paperwork that comes along with it. 

Make Lists

It takes a significant amount of organization to get ready for a move into a new house. Your capacity to get work done will increase in proportion to the degree to which the actual moving process causes you to feel less stressed and overwhelmed. 

While the day job is still the primary focus during the first few weeks and months of the move, the relocation takes place in the background and continues to tick along. 

To prevent yourself from thinking about it, make sure that everything that could take up valuable space in your head is written down. 

Lists of expected costs, lists of all the utilities and companies to contact about the move, lists of things that need to be booked and paid for to move house, and lists of things you need to get done once you are in the new house are all important things to have.

Map Out a Flexible Plan

After you have compiled your lists, placing them in a timeline will be of great assistance to you as you plan the next few months. 

Having everything laid out in front of you on the calendar helps you to comprehend what you are doing, when you will have less time for work, and consequently how to organize your tasks in a manner that is appropriate for the situation. Additionally, it helps to lessen that feeling of being overwhelmed as well as the stress that feeling can cause. You already have your basic structure. 

Because the tasks typically consist of making phone calls and filling out forms, they don’t take up much of your day, but you get everything out of your head and are able to concentrate on your primary responsibilities as a result.

Automate and Outsource

If you run a business, need to maintain visibility, and have some fundamental tasks that still need to be completed while you’re on the move, automations can be an extremely useful tool for you. It can be helpful to automate as much of your work flow and processes as possible, even if it’s just for the few days leading up to the move. 

These can be as simple as using your out of office responder to let people know about changes to routine, or they could be as complicated as scheduling social media posts or emails to be sent at a later date. 

If you work from home and are in the process of moving, having some content pre-prepared to post while you are not technically “at work” prevents your audience from thinking that you have abandoned them. 

You may want to consider hiring a virtual assistant for a few days or weeks to assist you in staying on top of some administrative tasks and emails. 

Your work can continue to run smoothly in the background thanks to automation or outsourcing, allowing you to focus on moving into your new home.