moving? Pack an Emotional First Aid Kit

From Making the Big Move: How to transform relocation into a creative life transition.

For a desert hike, pack sunscreen, bandages, and bug spray. When you move to a new house or a new job, you face loneliness and turmoil, not alligators or killer mosquitoes.

Here’s what to include in your emotional first aid kit.

Coping phrases for exhausted moments.

“There is time to do what you need.”

“I will always have options.”

“Whatever happens, I know I can cope.”

Phone numbers of friends and family who will laugh or cry with you.

Photos of family, friends, special places and pets;

Meditation, inspiration and visualization tapes.

DO NOT pack:

Wet blankets: Leave behind the “friends” who share horror stories. They will smoke your dreams.

Expensive treats: a depleted credit card creates stress. Think of small ways to reward yourself.

Things you’ve always wanted to do (you probably won’t be reading War and Peace while you’re waiting for the moving van to arrive).

Pack motion sickness tablets and you’ll probably be walking through a storm. Prepare for the worst and you’ll probably wonder why you care.

Details of each point can be found in Making the Big Move, originally published as a trade paperback, now available for instant download.