Moving is a big deal. It’s something to be excited about, but it’s also important not to be naive to how draining and overwhelming a big move can be.
For example, the stress of the move itself can be a lot to handle. You’ll likely neglect self-care. You probably won’t think much about how environmental changes will affect you either.
The psychological effects of a stressful move are apparent. But moving can impact your physical body, particularly your skin health. Let’s look at this in more detail below.
The Impact of a Stressful Move
Moving is stressful because the checklist of what you must do seems never-ending. From mapping out the details of your move beforehand to packing and saying goodbye to neighbors to moving in and getting familiar with your new place, there’s a whole lot to do.
When you get to the bottom of this checklist, you realize that self-care didn’t make the cut. And a huge part of self-care is taking care of your skin. Not prioritizing skincare while moving, and allowing the stress to get to you, almost guarantees breakouts, irritation, and other skin-related issues.
Also, if the stress doesn’t cause skin issues, your new environment probably will. For example, if you’re moving to the city from a rural area, the pollution can cause your skin’s DNA to mutate and become vulnerable to skin cancers. Hot and dry weather can lead to dry and flakey skin. And if you move to somewhere cold, your skin can get itchy and won’t retain moisture well.
The impact of a stressful move can be just as detrimental to your skin as it is to your mental and emotional state. But there are things you can do to ensure this doesn’t happen. Keep reading.
Tips for Maintaining Healthy Skin During a Move
Whether you’re moving for the first time or the fifth time, these tips can help you maintain healthy skin during the transition.
Organize your move
According to recent moving industry statistics, “Around 1 million people do their moving by themselves with rented trucks.” Handling every detail of a move can be a lot of pressure and incredibly stressful.
Even if you’re tackling moving alone, organizing the process beforehand can make it much less stressful, reducing the adverse effects on your skin. Give yourself enough time before your move-in date to determine and carry out precisely what you need to do to make the experience seamless.
For example, how can you pack gradually instead of all at once? How many trips will you have to take to complete the move? When will you contact your current rental office, utility companies, businesses you work with, and so forth? Who is willing to help you? How will you maintain life up until you move, including your skincare routine?
Also, learning about the environment you’re moving to is critical.
Learn about the environment you’re moving to
As mentioned above, the place you’re moving to can severely affect your skin if you aren’t careful. Educate yourself on the environment you’re moving to. Document details about pollution levels and how the weather changes throughout the year. Then, keep a running list of skincare products to help you navigate the environmental changes you face.
Adhere to your skincare routine
You should already have a skincare routine in place. If you don’t, this is your sign to create one, preferably a couple of months before your move so your skin can adjust to it.
If you already have a skincare routine, stick to it. Avoid using any new products during your move. This is because new products can cause your skin to purge.
It’s difficult to tell the difference between a breakout and purging. However, you need to be able to tell the difference to see how your new environment affects your skin. Confusing a breakout with purging can cause you not to make necessary changes to your skincare routine.
So, stick with the routine you already have in place. And only start to use new products once you’ve settled into your new home and can see how your skin reacts to it.
Practice self-care
Self-care won’t make the list for most people during a move. However, it’s critical to practice to help you manage the stress associated with moving. The above skincare routine is absolutely a part of self-care. Not only will it nourish your skin, but it will feed your mind and emotional well-being too.
The following activities can also help you implement self-care during your move:
- Stay hydrated
- Get enough sleep
- Eat well every day
- Ask for help and delegate
- Practice mindfulness and meditation
- Do something you’re passionate about
- Take frequent breaks from moving activities
- Practice feeling and releasing negative emotions
The more you take care of yourself, the more manageable a big move becomes.
Don’t be one of the many people who neglect themself and their skin health during a big move. With the tips above, ensure the stress of moving doesn’t adversely affect your skin, mind, body, and spirit.
