Overwhelm, we hear you.

We get it - any sort of upheaval of your life can be stressful, like your brain has turned into scrambled eggs. We wanted to do a post with some helpful ways to reframe how you view a move, and some tips and tricks when it comes to packing. If there's one thing that our ADHD & Autistic traits can help with, its chaos, organizing and designing a system that works for you.

Firstly, reframe the thought: you're not "failing at moving", you're doing something that is objectively stressful. Decision fatigue, physical and mental exhaustion, time pressure & loss of routine, these are all triggers that are going to come up during a move. Always remember to give yourself permission to move slowly, rest more, and NOT do it perfectly.

Some handy items to have ready: - Cardboard boxes (Bunnings, Officeworks, Professional Storage Facilities or even doing a Facebook post asking friends for any boxes they have laying around) - Packing tape (can get from basically anywhere, although Bunnings do stock labelled and colored roles that say "kitchen", "loungeroom", "bedroom" if you like visual aid organization like I do) - Marker pens for writing on your boxes - Old newspaper/bubblewrap for fragile items Also, PACK A FIRST NIGHT BOX - this will include things you need daily and are of comfort to you, such as: - Toothbrush/toothpaste - Soap/body wash - Hairbrush - Makeup - Meds - Pillow - Blankets - Phone charger - PJ's - Coffee/tea/snack setup

We've all heard of a BRAIN DUMP (I myself have at least 10x going at all times)

Grab a notepad, pen and paper, and get every single thought out of your brain space, then sort it into 3 categories:

1. Must do today

2. Can wait until tomorrow

3. Delegate or drop

Then, break things into micro tasks - instead of "pack the kitchen" (which is immediately firing off as a HUGE TASK) see it as:

1. Pack cutlery

2. Pack plates/dishes

3. Wrap mugs

4. Empty fridge (always make sure you have a backup esky or something to keep your perishables cold during the move)

Small wins = momentum. Time block in short bursts - try 45mins on, 15mins off OR 1x packed box = 1x break. Try not to doomscroll when you are relaxing, you'll lose yourself in the plethora of social media madness and lose traction of your momentum. (Trust me, I know) - lie down, stretch, get something to eat or drink. Ask a friend for help - trade energy! Even assistance from a friend for half an hour can decrease the amount to be done by half. And hey, if you feel guilty for asking for help, say "Help me pack, I'll cook dinner" (or something of that sort) Remember, you can't pack efficiently when you're fried. Make sure you're making time for yourself to: - Eat - Hydrate - Rest - Sleep - Take your meds - Go outside in the sunshine & fresh air. Just remember, you're doing a great job - and when this is all said and done, you can feel really proud of yourself that you DID IT!