Moving Away From Friends – How to Deal With It and Stay in Touch

How to Deal with Moving Away from Home

Whether moving for love, school, or work, the process never gets easier. You’ll have a lot to deal with on your plate, from moving stress and hiring moving services to the constant doubts about whether you are making the right choice. And the thought that you’ll be moving away from family and friends will only make things harder for you. So here’s a tip.

Focus on the Positive Sides of Moving Away

While it sounds like a cliche, the number one thing you need to do is stay focused on all the positive aspects: meeting new friends, starting an exciting new life, having new stories to tell when you visit home, and similar.

If you’re relocating for school, for example, think of all the clubs you’ll join and students you’ll meet that share the same interests and aspirations as you. Also, consider the freedom you’ll get once in college. Preparing for your college life, maybe making a college packing list, or just imagining all the great activities you’ll participate in, will help you stay positive during the relocation process.

If you are an adult moving state to state due to a job opportunity or maybe living costs, keep those in your head as reminders and motivation to pull through and reach your destination. There are bigger and greater things waiting for you ahead.

Don’t spiral and fall into despair, when not everything is so gloomy. There is always a bright side.

After all, you’re relocating with a straightforward goal in your head, so don’t lose sight of it.

Saying Farewell to Your Old Friends

The hardest part of leaving is usually saying goodbye. Mixed emotions, anxiety, and all the negativity start flooding in. So, it is essential to tackle these emotions head-on and share them with those closest to you.

There is no correct way to say your farewells, but these ideas might be of helpful.

Being Honest with Your Feelings

Talking heart to heart with those closest to you is an excellent way to settle your feelings. Sharing your worries not just about your future life but what you might lose along the way will make your friends understand that you need them now more than ever. Telling them you’ll miss them is entirely understandable. Even crying it all out will let you cope, so don’t be afraid to share your feelings. By being honest and direct about your anxiety, your friends will know to check up on you regularly. In conclusion, talking individually with the people that mean a lot to you is a great way to leave things before you go.

Throwing a Going Away Party

If you don’t want to leave things on a sad note, throwing a moving away party might be a good option. Not everyone deals with change and goodbyes in the same way; some prefer to have that one final happy experience to give everyone closure. Throwing a party will be a great chance to gather all of those you care about and say your goodbyes in a more uplifting atmosphere. Not all goodbyes need to be sad.

Furthermore, you can also use the party as an opportunity to share your future address and contact info. While you’ll be busy checking off things on your moving to-do list, you should try to set the date of the party at least a week or two before your relocation so that you can get closure at an appropriate moment.

Staying in Touch with Everyone

Maintaining relationships always seems complicated at first, especially when you’re moving cross country. Distance often makes us drift from each other. But truth be told, if you wanted to stay close with someone, you would’ve put in the effort. More times than not, we use distance as an excuse. So don’t worry too much and try the following methods to keep in touch with your closest.

Chatting is a Great Method to Remain Close

Let’s be real – it’s the 21st century. Nowadays, everyone uses email and social media. From applications such as WhatsApp and Viber to video call apps such as Skype, you have numerous options to keep in touch with those living far away. The majority of these apps offer message services similar to email, video calls, and even voice call options. With them, you’ll be able to hear from your friends frequently. You can schedule daily hangouts over your favorite chat apps, or maybe if you like gaming, you can all have late-night game nights and use Discord to communicate. Overall, you can easily send a message over any one of these apps to check up on your friends. Many people nowadays have group chats with family members and friends, so why not make one and use it as your primary communication source? We all know that someone who loves spamming the group chat; it’ll be like you never left.

Remembering All the Important Dates

If you’re moving interstate, chances are you won’t be able to visit your loved ones frequently. So, since you won’t be present for all the important gatherings and events, try to remember the dates. You should try to keep track and congratulate birthdays and anniversaries to show that you still care and want to be included. Send cards and small gifts if you already can’t visit and celebrate. These will show how thoughtful you are.

Visiting and Planning Trips Together

If you plan on visiting your hometown during the holidays or your vacations, use these opportunities to spend time with your old friends. From hikes to drinking nights and barbeques in the backyard, organize or attend many fun activities you can do together. If you won’t be going home for a while, why not plan trips or vacations together. Traveling around the world and going into adventures with your loved ones is a great way to strengthen your bonds. It will also be a great motivation to finish all your yearly responsibilities on time. Trips are also an excellent opportunity to create memories.

Meeting New People

When you first arrive at your place and the loneliness kicks in, you’ll probably start wondering, asking questions, and having thoughts like “should I move back home,” “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” or “I’m all by myself.” Don’t do that!

There is no need for over-analyzing and overthinking, remember you came for a reason. So go out and meet people! Sure, you have your old friends, but nothing stops you from making friends in a new city. Having others around you will help you adapt to your new lifestyle more quickly and make you feel less lonely. So give those surrounding you a shot; these two ideas might be helpful!

Introduce Yourself to the People Around You

Once you settle into your home, it’s time to socialize. While you may be feeling shy or uncertain, a good idea to make friendships is to start with those closest.

If you have moved into a house, meeting all your neighbors and introducing yourself to the neighborhood is a great idea to break the ice. Maybe even hosting a small dinner party once you get to know them a bit better. This way, you’ll be able to find out more about the local area.

If you’re relocating to a dorm, get to know your roommate and those who live on the same floor. You can also try making friends with your lecture colleagues as you’ll probably have some group projects together.

The more people you meet, the more likely you’ll find those you click with, so try to be sociable even if it is a bit out of your comfort zone. Remember, inviting your colleagues and neighbors to eat or hang out is a great way to become closer.

Create a New Lifestyle, Join Fun Clubs and Organizations

A new city means that you’ll have a lot of opportunities and hobbies. Maybe it’s time to brush up on some of your forgotten skills. So why not join a club or organization that caters to your skills or interest. From painting, joining a band, to maybe charity work or sports, you have many choices. Keeping busy will not only help you deal with your emotions after the move but will also allow you to meet those that have similar interests as you. Try going to sports events or concerts, do as many fun activities as you can.

If you want to learn how to interact with others, this video might have some helpful tips for you.

Moving on and Being Happy

The biggest problem you’ll face is dealing with the overbearing amount of changes as you’ll be venturing into the unknown. Realistically, you’ll probably feel left out from your previous friend group when you miss occasions, but don’t let it get you down. You need to come to terms with the fact that you won’t be as involved as you were before in group plans, and that’s ok. You’ll also be busy getting your life in check and creating friendships. It does not mean you’ll lose the ones you already have; you’ll just be gaining more. In a way, you’ll get the best of both worlds!

Moving Away From Friends Doesn’t Mean the Friendship is Over

Moving cross country will be hard enough experience with all the extra obligations, from sorting out your moving budget to finding the appropriate moving services, getting insurance, and settling in. The last thing you want to worry about is losing those close-knit relationships from your previous home. We hope that our tips on maintaining your old relations while creating a future for yourself and making new friendships will help you reduce your anxiety and have a stress-free interstate move. Best of luck!