Make Yourself At Home

Moving to a new home, particularly in a new community is exciting, but also difficult. It is normal to feel homesick for your old surroundings, friends or family. Here are some tips to help you hit the ground running.

Get Out There. Unless you are naturally extroverted, a normal reaction after a move is to stay home and hide. For some making new connections – even something as simple as finding a new grocery store – can be very stressful. Push past this feeling because the sooner you bond with your new community the happier you will be. Get out there and claim “your” new mall, dentist office, gym or place of worship.

Recognize it will get easier. This may sound like shallow advice to a person who is grieving lost relationships, memories and opportunities, but knowing there truly is a light at the end of the tunnel should help. Anyone who has moved will say it was tough at first but looking back they “made it” and you will too. Hold on through this process. It will get easier.

Make your house your home. Whether you are renting a small studio apartment or have bought a sprawling home, it is important to make your mark on the new space. Often the prints or decorations that worked in your old home don’t really go in the new place. Hang up pictures, if you are allowed to paint your comfort colour or get a new bedspread. It doesn’t have to be expensive to add those touches that make you feel at home again.

Find a way to make an impact in your new community. Getting involved or active by helping someone else is a great way to find your groove in a new place. Signing up to coach your kid’s soccer team, delivering Meals on Wheels or volunteering at a school program are good examples of ways to find your new sense of purpose and to build relationships.

Before you know it you will find yourself at home.

~

By: Sharon Osvald and Andrew Brown