Every day, people move from one place to anothe; some might move from one apartment in favor of a better one. Others might move from an apartment to a house if they can secure a mortgage and have enough for a down payment.

Moving can be an emotional experience, sometimes more than you might expect. We will talk about how moving can help your mental health in the following article.

You can leave some unpleasant memories behind

The emotional challenges of moving aren’t always easy. You might not necessarily think about that until you’re in the midst of the process, but once you start to experience the feelings, you shouldn’t try to fight them.  

The reason why you might feel emotional when the time comes to move from one place to another is that you may have gone through some tough times in the residence that you’re leaving behind. Perhaps you struggled with depression there. Maybe you had some tough times with drugs or alcohol.

Maybe you broke up with an ex while living in that residence, or perhaps you saw your parents fight a lot there. Maybe one of your pets that you loved very much died there. Any of that is possible, and the bad times might outweigh the good ones when you think about that location.

If that’s the case, you can leave some of those painful or unpleasant memories behind when you’re no longer living in that space. You will not be able to forget about what happened entirely, but you can still get a fresh start in a new domicile.

You might leave some physical objects behind as well

Many mental health professionals would agree that moving on from a particular place that has some painful memories for you can help your mental state. They might also suggest leaving some objects behind that you had when you lived in your old house or apartment.

Just like the place itself can keep you locked in a negative thought pattern, you might also feel that way when you look at some of the objects that were around when you were going through a rough time. Maybe when you look at a lamp, a bedside table, some clothing, or something else, you can’t help but remember what happened to you and how you felt.

If you can afford to replace those items, you might want to do that when you move. Purging yourself of those objects can be just as useful as completing the physical move itself.

You can leave your neighbours behind

Perhaps you lived around some neighbors who you didn’t like so much. Even if you didn’t have a lot to do with them, maybe they saw you when you felt your worst. They might have seen you coming from or going to a job that you didn’t like very much. Perhaps they heard you arguing with a family member, and you’re moving to create some distance from that person.

Leaving your neighbors and neighbourhood can also make you feel better from a psychological standpoint. It might not be a neighbor’s fault that you feel bad when you see them, but still, getting away from them can start to make you feel better.

Moving can mean an emotional makeover for you

Moving to somewhere new and getting away from a place where you struggled can be extremely cathartic for you. You will probably feel like you can breathe again when you get to a new location. If you’re moving to a place where you will not have to see anyone you associate with your old living space, that might be the best possible thing.

Once you are in your new residence, you can take some time to see how you feel. It could be that you don’t feel very changed until a little time passes. Once it does, though, you might decide that you can change other life aspects as well. Maybe you’ll take on some new hobbies or change your career path.

Living in a place that didn’t work out for you, for whatever reason, can take a bigger toll on you than you might realize while you are there. After you get to somewhere new and change everything about your life, you might start to reclaim the person who you used to be before you experienced the troubles that you did. Many times, you’ll find that the move was just what you needed.

Adam Mulligan did his degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.