The Mental Toll of Moving: Strategies to Keep Calm & Carry On

As I sit and write to you on the ferry to South Island I couldn’t help but notice the weather getting worse as the wind is picking up and I was expecting 4-5m high swells to get worse as we cross the channel. I gazed across to my kids getting excited about going for a movie and what snacks to buy, thinking how lucky I am to be feeling safe, dry & warm inside whilst we move towards the storm.

It’s moments like this that my breath slows down, my body starts to relax and I start to feel the tension in my chest start to ease. I say to myself….”I am OKAY. Today is another gift I can be thankful for.”

Not gonna lie, the last few weeks have been intense as we make several decisions required for our move to the South Island. Yes I am on the move again but this time its a permanent move to Queenstown.

But heck it is still stressful isnt it?

Here’s the stats (you guys know how much I love data!)

The survey, conducted by OnePoll, found 45% of respondents say moving is by far the most stressful event in life, followed by going through a break-up or divorce (44%), and getting married (33%).

The reason I’m sharing this with you is because stress does not ostracise, it happens to ALL of us and it is necessary for us to start accepting that having stress is part of life and it isn’t a bad guy. Our stress hormone cortisol is a hormone produced by the two adrenal glands, which are located on top of each kidney. The pituitary gland in the brain regulates cortisol production.

Role of Cortisol:

Maintaining an adequate balance of cortisol is essential for health. Here’s why:

Helps regulate our stress response

Control our metabolism

Helps blood pressure regulation

Reduces inflammation

Regulates sleep wake cycle

Credit: Cleveland Clinic

So when does stress become dangerous?

When our nervous system become dysregulated over long periods of time and we start to feel our quality of life starts to drop thus,

impacting our sleep,

we emotional eat leading to weight gain

adopt negative behaviours such as drinking alcohol,

reach out for sugar for comfort

Experience low energy & mood

Poor metabolic markers ie: blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, weight

It is important that we start noticing some of these pain points that we have started normalising as “its just me, this is my family hereditary disease etc. Humans today are battling with diseases that are predominantly preventable through LIFESTYLE changes.

What can we do NOW about stress? My top tips as follows:

Check in with your stress levels. Rate it daily on a scale of 1-10. If you are rating higher on some days, choose some relaxation activities to help you regular your nervous system

Implement some breathing techniques. My fav is box breathing and lengthening the exhalations

Choose to eat a low carb meal plan, cut down on all refine sugars and it reduces inflammation and improves weight management

Exercise & move daily. It is non-negotiable. Go out for a walk even if it is 20 mins, it is well worth it. Your brain will thank you for it.

If you are currently battling with chronic stress and you feel out of control and frustrated, let’s have a confidential clarity call. Click on the link below to book now.