Relocation Depression
What is It & How Do You Overcome It
Most people have never heard of relocation depression but those who’ve experienced a move may know all too well about the little-known condition. Moving to a new home is one of the greatest life events a person can experience as it involves many strong emotions: from working through memories during the packing process to feeling like a stranger in a new place.
Read on to learn what relocation depression is and how to overcome it.
Symptoms of Relocation Depression
It may be a few days before you begin to experience any worrisome symptoms of relocation depression, mostly because you’ll be extremely busy the first few days – unpacking the essentials boxes and taking care of numerous urgent tasks that cannot be put off for too long.
Once you get more time to think, however, you could get overwhelmed by nostalgic thoughts about the people and places you left behind. Here are some of the most typical symptoms of relocation depression:
- Excessive sleep or insomnia
- Constant fatigue
- Reluctance to leave the new place
- Uncharacteristic apathy
- Loss of appetite
How to Overcome Relocation Depression After a Move
If you suspect that you may be suffering from depression due to moving to a new home here are 10 ways to start feeling right again and enjoying your new post-move life.
Hold on to Your Old Friends
One of the best ways to deal with relocation depression after moving to a new environment is to keep in touch with the friends you had to leave behind.
Find the Courage to Make New Friends
Start by saying hi to the folks next door, then be friendly with your co-workers and use any presented opportunity to get to know them better. Also, signing up for various classes or joining a club or a gym is a great opportunity to interact with different people and hopefully becoming friends with some of them.
Explore Your New Town or City
The only way to combat any unsettling or frightening feelings is to explore your new location and see that there’s nothing distressing or scary about it at all. Consider exploratory tours around your neighborhood first, and then around the entire town or city.
Continue Doing What You Used to Love
An excellent way to overcome relocation depression is to pick up your old hobbies or take on new ones depending on how you feel and what the new city has to offer.
Get Yourself a Pet
If you just moved to a new city alone and you feel rather lonely as a result, then one good way to fight relocation depression is to get yourself an animal companion – a dog, a cat, or a bird are excellent choices.
Use Your Job As a Shield
One of the most effective ways to cope with relocation depression is to dedicate fully to your job, potentially using up all your time and energy to grow in your profession.
Exercise Regularly
Another way can overcome overwhelming feelings of homesickness after a move is to increase your physical activities throughout the day. Exercise is known to release endorphins into the body, which in turn help you improve your overall mood and get you to feel refreshed and reinvigorated.
Focus on Redesigning Your New Place
Sometimes it’s the little things that can make a big difference. One good therapeutic method to overcome relocation depression is to arrange and decorate your new home in such a way as to make you feel comfortable, calm, and secure.
Give Yourself More Time
Don’t be too harsh on yourself for feeling sad or for not having the energy to get up from your bed after the move is over. You only need to take it easy at first and keep telling yourself that you only need a bit more time to feel fine again.
Seek Professional Help
Sometimes you may not be able to cope with relocation depression and if your feelings of sadness, alienation, and hopelessness do not go away for weeks or even months, then you must consider seeking help from a professional. A therapist will try to get to the very source of your post-relocation depression and help you find the best way to treat it.
