Many of us know that moving house is for many, a necessity that is largely dependant on your life status, family and career.  This can often be stressful and cause us to feel restricted and restrained, however a new study suggests that moving houses can, in fact, be a very freeing prospect. A recent article in The Telegraph provides an interesting look at some of the unexpected positive side effects of moving, notably, that moving house might be the perfect time to quit smoking.

The article details a study that was conducted at the University of Bath that indicates that periods of change in people’s lives might in fact open your brain up to the potential for making more major changes. ““Around the time of a major change, life can be up in the air and as such we know that people are generally more open to new ideas and information””.  

This is an interesting perspective on the traditional perception that moving house is a negative activity.  These developments could go a long way in pushing forward the idea that moving can be beneficial in an incredible number of ways to the mover, and could potentially even be looked at as a process to look forward to!

“Timing environmental interventions to coincide, whilst also reinforcing messages about saving money through such changes, can be particularly effective.”

If a period of transition such as moving can help you make a major positive decision such as quitting smoking, imagine the other kinds of life improvements we could potentially make if we make conscious efforts to make major changes during periods of transition.

Reconsidering our perceptions of stressful events can be an incredibly informative experience, and with research like this, we are well on our way to proving that moving houses might not be life’s most stressful event!  What a relief.
For more interesting insight on the process of moving house, don’t forget to check out our other moving blogs, Toronto and Calgary.  Happy moving!