From Stress to Smiles: How to Keep Your Sense of Humor While Moving

Everybody knows that moving is no laughing matter.

Ask a person who has recently survived a residential move how many times they laughed during the feverish pre-move preparations, on the stress-packed moving day, and later during the tough post-relocation period, and they’d probably look at you as if you had lost your mind.

Wait and you’ll see for yourself! would probably be their laconic answer.

And they would be right to say so.

The elaborate and time-consuming process of moving house is not the appropriate time to demonstrate your keen sense of humor by cracking jokes and having people split their sides with laughter.

Moving from one place to another is a humorless business and all its aspects should be taken seriously and with the kind of somberness it deserves, right?

Well, not exactly.

Experience has shown that a proven way to keep your sanity when moving to a new home, and thus taking a big leap out of your comfort zone, is to turn to your good sense of humor and use it as a defense mechanism against the onslaught of seriousness that’s coming your way.

You have to have a sense of humor when moving house – if you don’t, every relocation stage will be just a notch or two duller, bleaker, and unfunnier (understand tougher in general) than you want it to be.

But how to keep your sense of humor when moving house? Aren’t these two ideas mutually exclusive?

Not necessarily.

Be sure to use these 4 practical tips for maintaining your sense of humor when moving house.

After all, you’re taking almost all your essential possessions to your new home, so why should you leave behind your trait of appreciating and being able to express the humorous?

1. Don’t Fight Fire With Fire

Depending on your current relocation stage, it’s highly possible that you don’t find things very funny.

Sadly, your sense of humor will probably be hidden somewhere deep inside you.

• First reaction to the move. The sudden news that you’ll have to move house may have left you dumbfounded and partially intimidated by what lies ahead.
• Beginning of moving preparations. Essential questions such as Where to find the best movers?, How much do movers cost?, and How to organize my move? start to flood your mind and make you feel overwhelmed by the multitude of move-related tasks you’ll need to take care of before, during, and after the move.
• In the heat of moving preparations. You’ve come to realize that your moving date is approaching faster than a speeding bullet and you’re not even halfway through your personal MOVING CHECKLIST. Panic starts to stir restlessly inside you.
• Moving day. You have somehow managed to complete most of the moving tasks and you’re anxiously pacing up and down your home, wondering why your movers are 2 hours late.
• Post-relocation days. You have never imagined that getting your life back on track would be such a struggle. The huge piles of moving boxes scattered around your house are still waiting to be unpacked. Plus, you can’t seem to find the energy and motivation to finish off the final moving stage. Could you have fallen into the merciless trap of relocation depression?

Considering the complex overall execution of a move to another home, in another city, in another state, its financial repercussions for your savings account, and increased level of stress for your mind, the arduous relocation process is surely one of the few life-changing events where you would be least expected to show the keen sense of humor you are so proud of.

Or at least that’s what solid logic dictates, right?

It depends.

Be mindful that to emerge victorious from your relocation battle, you must come up with a smart and highly unusual winning strategy to take your enemy by surprise.

Standard strategic moves won’t help you gain a considerable advantage over your opponent unless you are wise enough to take out your least anticipated weapon – your sense of humor.

At first sight, it doesn’t make much sense to take the humorous approach toward the all-seriousness of your forthcoming local or long-distance move.

But then again, being armed with the usual battle gear may just not do the trick for you this time.

Could you scare a snowman with stories of sub-zero temperatures and ice-cold blizzards? Of course not!

But mention the warm sunrays to him and he’d start shaking with fear.

After all, you don’t fight fire with fire, but rather – with water.

A good tactical move on your part will be to negate the detrimental effects of the solemn issues your relocation will inevitably bring about by turning to your sense of humor.

It won’t be easy to see the funny side of a seemingly serious moving situation, but doing so will help you escape your tough relocation fairly unscathed.

Moving joke #1

Why did the plant refuse to move?

It didn’t want to uproot its life.

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2. It’s A Matter Of Laughing Or Crying

Are you ready to do what it takes to swim safely to the other side of the shark-infested waters of relocation?

The law of opposing forces says that if you fail to find valid reasons to have the occasional good laugh now and then when moving house, then you’ll most probably end up crying over something that would look insignificant in a few years’ time anyway.

Just like a boiler, the moving pressure will keep building and building toward an imminent explosion unless you activate your safety valve and let out some of the accumulated steam.

For starters, to face the various relocation challenges with a smile on your face, get into the right mental state by watching some funny videos on YouTube or see one more time the hilarious routine of your favorite stand-up comedian.

Entertaining activities will effectively get your mind off the problems at hand and will provide much-needed breaks to help you relax and take things more calmly.

Moving is a complicated job to pull off with flying colors but it’s neither a nerve-wracking job interview nor an important school exam, so you might as well have some fun while chaos is being unleashed all around you.

You are not at work where the atmosphere is prevailingly formal and you are not supposed or allowed to cut loose – you’re inside your own home.

When things seem like they can’t go any worse, just start laughing and the people around might follow suit as well.

Genuine laughter or nervous laughter?

It doesn’t really matter as long as you’re doing whatever it takes to survive your big move. Remember that you’re free to improvise on various surviving techniques as moving day draws nearer and nearer.

Another way to keep your sense of humor alive when getting ready to move house is not to miss any real opportunities for a good joke.

Take things too seriously and you’ll definitely be choosing the rockier road to moving to and settling in your new home.

Did your spouse snap a quick photo of you when you tripped and were falling face down, trying desperately to hold on to that heavy moving box?

Instead of getting angry, you might as well enjoy that hysterical incident and admit that the photograph is a keeper – let your close friends see it by posting it on your social network, and laugh together with them as hard as you can.

It takes courage and resilience to be able to laugh at yourself, and as stressful as it may be, moving to another part of the country will surely present a handful of such self-mocking opportunities.

Take advantage of every chance to share a good laugh with family and good friends, memorize some clever jokes worthy of the occasion, and be open to any seemingly silly and bizarre fun activities (within reasonable limits, of course) to cut the tension and have some fun while getting ready for your key residential move.

Moving joke #2

Why did the furniture break up with the moving truck?

It felt like it was always being taken for a ride.

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3. Don’t Wrap Yourself With Wet Blankets

“In your life expect some trouble,
When you worry you make it double.
Don’t worry, be happy!
‘Cause when you worry, your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down.”
(“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin)

Moving blankets are great for protecting both your household items and your property, but you are advised to keep your distance from confirmed wet blankets.

One proven method of keeping your sense of humor during a move is to not let other people bring you down.

Sometimes even one highly inconsiderate comment from a family member, one disapproving look from your neighbor, or an overall sense of negativity-filled approach is enough to ruin your mood for a long time.

Your safest bet is to try and stay positive during all relocation stages – everyone is entitled to their opinions but you must separate yourself from all the negativity that tends to float around a house-moving process and keep the smile on your face against all odds.

Clear all or most of the dark thoughts from your head and simply refuse to become the next pessimistic victim of brooding negativism.

Don’t let the moving blues get you down!

But how exactly can you achieve it, you may wonder?

Undoubtedly, the best way to keep your sense of humor intact when moving and to fill your mind with positive optimism is to hang around with the happy crowd.

Check your moving calendar and squeeze in more quality and fun time with friends who you know will recharge your battery by focusing on all the positive aspects of your relocation (more opportunities for personal and professional growth, a bigger home in a better city, a wider range of entertainment options and so on) instead of individuals who will drain your remaining energy by droning on about all the people and things you’re leaving behind for hours on end.

Invite over to your place the right people and turn your going-away party into a celebration of your new life instead of grief over the life you’re about to lose.

Who would you rather have by your side during this tough transitional period – merrymakers or killjoys?

Choose wisely.

Moving joke #3

What did the blanket say to the bed?

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

How to Organize a Memorable Moving Away Party in 10 Steps

4. Stress, be gone! Laughter, come in!

The true test of moving house is the ability to laugh at the absurdity of it all when you feel like crying.

And the perfect opportunity to do just that is to keep your good sense of humor and keep the fun rolling at the same time, by not missing a good opportunity for an entertaining game.

There are numerous ways to have fun during your move, and one of the most satisfying and rewarding ways is to show your creativity and invent a game for you and your friends.

The possibilities to just cut it loose and let out some steam are endless, especially when you’re surrounded by close friends with whom you have absolutely no reason not to be the person you truly are (no personality masks required!).

Think of a few friendly contests with prizes, of course, but don’t tell your buddies what the rewards are for added suspense.

To help you bring sincere laughter and pure fun out of you and your pals, here are a few ideas on how to have fun during your move (all of them are guessing games with simple rules).

Feel free to build on them and modify them in any way you wish.

4.1 Guess the exact amount and win a banana

Place some cash, including coins to make the game more challenging, on the bottom of a box and let each one of your friends guess the exact amount.

Whoever comes the closest without going over the amount wins the right to count the sum in secret, add more money to the one already in the box, and have the satisfaction of watching the rest racking their brains trying to guess the new total.

Oh, and the winner also gets an apple as a reward.

Why an apple and not a banana as the game title suggests, you may wonder?

Unexpected twists contribute to the overall fun experience, remember?

4.2. Guess the boxed object

Similar to the guessing game above, place a random household object (a bottle of wine, a fruit, keys, a wallet, a computer mouse, etc.) inside a moving box, shut it close, and let your pals guess the exact item by giving them subtle hints.

Whoever guesses the hidden object wins the game, chooses another household item to put inside the container, and becomes the new hint-giver.

Of course, the winner’s prize is to pack one moving box after the game is over.

4.3. Guess the tape rounds

Take a roll of tape that is almost finished and have your friends guess how many times you can go around a certain moving box until the tape is completely depleted.

Whoever comes closest without going over the counted rounds is the winner.

The prize?

Going to the nearby office supply store to buy a brand-new roll of tape.

The above pointers will tell you why it is important to have a sense of humor when moving and how to maintain your sense of humor – alive and kicking – during the house-moving process.

Thus, you should know that being funny and having a good sense of humor are two different things, and a person can be funny and still lack a good sense of humor.

Being funny is all about being able to convey humor of different types (jokes, witty comments, puns, turning unfortunate events into comedy, etc.) in an entertaining and amusing way, while having a sense of humor is all about being able to spot the humor in life’s absurd situations, including the rare ability to have a good laugh at oneself.

Yes, moving is no laughing matter but sometimes laughter is all you need to have a move that matters.

Moving joke #4

Why don’t movers ever tell secrets?

Because they know how to handle heavy loads.

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