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Settling Into A New Community: Post-Move Tips
Curly kid in a box playing. Photo by cottonbro from Pexels.
Small family settling into a new community

Relocation depression is a real thing. Settling into a new community can be a harsh period, especially for introverts. Leaving all your family and friends behind, your habits and your lifestyle can put you out of your comfort zone, and no one likes that. To be able to start fresh, and to get to that point when a new place will start feeling like a home, you need to connect with members of the community where you just moved in.

You can arrange your new house as much as you like, explore the neighborhood, and find a perfect place for your morning coffee and still feel like you don’t belong here. Until you meet new people and make new friends, you won’t be able to claim a new place as home.

It might seem like a hard and daunting thing to do, but it is way easier, trust me. Let’s fight off the relocation blues together.

Become Eager For Settling Into A New Community

Even the birds on trees know how relocating to a new city is a stressful process. Not only because of endless rows of boxes and suitcases that await you to unpack and rearrange them.  It is mainly because you are starting from zero, and now you are the one responsible for creating that sense of belonging to a community.

Therefore, you need to accept the fact that besides your effort, only time can deliver you that. Home can be everywhere if you decide like that. Be proactive and arm yourself with patience this will be a long journey, but a successful one! Here are some very useful tips that you should apply daily if you want to speed up the settling process.

Go out of your comfort zone

How can you expect to find new friends, and link with your neighbors if you don’t make the first step? You do not need to do something you wouldn’t naturally do, but you need to start talking to new people in order to make friends, no matter how intimidating that might seem.

Go for walk with your dog and link with the other owners. Pet lovers always build a strong community, make sure you become a part of it. It will be great for you and your dog since he will also feel disconnected after the move. Chill out in your yard, plant some seeds, and look for a chance to chat with your first neighbor. Invite them over, be a good sport and show interest in getting to know them better.

Remember that coffee shop I mentioned earlier? Why wouldn’t you make friends with the barista while you are there? Build a community in your workplace, you’ll see that people most of the days. Maybe some of your friends know someone in the city. Ask them to link you up, don’t be shy.

There are a lot of options all you have to do is to relax and act.

Community service to the help!

A great way for meeting new people is to volunteer. Participate in local events, or find a community that needs help on regular basis, make yourself useful, you will feel much better after you establish some new routine. Find some charity that is important to you, maybe you previous organization have a section here as well.

If you have some hobbies that you can practice and help others that are in need, then find a club and connect with people. If you have kids, then it will be easy for you to find new friends among other parents. Schools are always open for parents who would like to volunteer.

Find a common interest group, or start something new

If you love running, then find a local running club and join them. The options are endless, and this way you will be able to connect with people who share the same passion as you, and that is a great way to bond with someone and start building a friendship.

If you don’t have any hobbies, now is a perfect time to discover one. Maybe you can join a salsa club and learn to dance, this will be beneficial for your health and your relationship with other people. You can learn to cook or to improve your skills, learn to prepare dishes from some exotic cuisine.

The point is that as long as you mingle among people you will feel better, don’t stay up home binge-watching old tv shows when you can start living.

Explore the city and nature

Moving from NYC to Montclair, NJ
Exploring the new neighborhood

Settling into a new community is not only about meeting new people, it is also very important to learn to get around the city and not get lost. To find out where you should go shopping, where is the nearest vet ambulance, a drugstore, or post office, you get the point.

In the first few weeks in your new city, you are practically still a tourist. So act like one. Google some popular attractions in your area, look for new museums, theaters, national parks, cultural amenities, visit a top restaurants and bars.

Explore your new neighborhood and see what it has to offer, find new favorite hang-out spots, maybe you’ll discover some new interests and passions along the way. Be adventurous and it will pay off significantly.

Settling Into A New Community Is A Valuable Experience

If you are about to pack your first batch of things into boxes and you are getting anxiety attacks because the relocation is overwhelming you, it is time to call us. Let us handle all the physical work and better spend that time with friends and family, or explore your new community.

Don’t be afraid to start fresh somewhere far away from home. This is a one-time life opportunity that you don’t want to miss out on.