How Journaling Can Help You Process a Big Move

A new city is a place for opportunities. A new start in a new place with no one to hold you back. Your family is miles away, your judgmental ex-coworkers are back in your old town, and your old flames are nowhere in sight. This is exciting!

At the same time… moving to a new city is scary, lonely and hard. After all: it is a new start in a new place with no one to hold you back. Your family is miles away, your coworkers are back in your old town, and… starting to get the picture? 

The things that made your old life frustrating also gave you a frame of reference. A way to ground and center yourself. Without that, who are you? Without home, what are you?

If you have just moved to a new city — perhaps you got a new job, or maybe you moved for a relationship — here are some ways to overcome that new-town blues.  

1. Join a social network 

Are you on social media? If not, where have you been living the past fifteen years? We joke, but chances are good there are probably social networks you are not yet tapping into in your new city. Social media is a great tool for meeting new people who are going through the same things you are, and if you have not yet looked into groups of others who have recently moved to your city, it’s definitely worth a shot. 

2. Connect with your home base

Yes, the whole point of moving is to start over. But that doesn’t mean you have to burn every last bridge you built over the course of your life. Staying in touch with your favorite parts of the life you left is a crucial way to keep sane while you build a new beginning. Call your mom, reach out to your old best friend, text your favorite ex-coworker and follow your old favorite coffee shop on Facebook if you must. Anything from your old life that gives you a sense of security will make you bolder when branching out in your new town!

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3. Remember why you moved here

Now that you’ve finished being sentimental about the life you gave up, it’s time to look to the future you’re building. Remember why you moved here in the first place: if it was for a new job that pays more, that’s wonderful! Think of how grateful you are to have the money and prestige that comes with a fancy job and a new title. Or, if you moved for someone — a family member or relationship — think of how exciting a future with them will be. There are countless things to be thankful for when you move to a new city and practicing gratitude will help you transition to new-town living much more smoothly. 

4. Start a journal

When going through major life changes — such as moving to a new city — it helps to write those changes down. Creating a journal to express your thoughts and feelings about moving in real-time will allow you to better understand and process your emotions as you have them. A journal can act as a real-time record for your emotional progress, allowing you to analyze how you are feeling about this major life change day after day. Better yet, journaling can help you with every step on this list! Writing about your new friend network, the things you left behind and the things you’re excited about are all great journaling prompts that will get you thinking about your new life in a new city. 

Don’t let a new city beat you

We get it: moving is hard. Change is hard. Sometimes, everything is hard. But you can do this! You moved to a new city for a reason, and now is the time to hold onto that reason and use it as your North Star: the guiding principle that keeps you moving in the right direction. 

Together with a positive outlook, a strong network and a journal to keep you emotionally honest, you’ll feel like a long-term resident of your new town in no time.