The time has come, you’ve made one of the biggest decisions of your life and you are moving away from the home you’ve known for some time.
Of course it’s not just bricks and mortar you are leaving behind. If you are downsizing there will be decisions to make on what furniture and ornaments you are taking and what you are going to give away or sell. But perhaps more important than possessions, there are treasured memories and friendships tied into the physical location as well. No wonder they say moving is one of the stressful things we can ever do.
But the decision has been made, you are moving, you are going to make new memories to add to the ones you’ve already made, and your friends will be friends no matter where you go. The good news is, your new location means you will be able to make new friends once the stress of moving is over.
If you are moving to a Lifestyle Village location, the range of services and activities means the hard work of finding new people to get to know is taken care of. Of course you shouldn’t stop there, but your new neighbours will understand what you have been through so you have common ground to break the ice. But what happens if you are not moving into this kind of community lifestyle – what do you do, especially if you are somewhat shy?
No matter what your age, it’s not always easy to make new friends or keep in touch with your old ones but you don’t have to feel alone.
Here are some tips we’ve used to make the change easier:
1. Get to know your neighbours, a compliment on their garden or a friendly wave over the fence/gate is sometimes enough to spark up a conversation
2. Find the local library, they will have group activities that may interest you
3. If you are active, check out your local community centre, another great way to meet new people, while taking part in fun activities
4. Most suburbs have their own Lawn Bowls or Bingo Clubs, give it a try! It’s a day/night out and could be a lot of fun!
5. Become a volunteer, visit an aged care facility and ask if there’s someone that would like a chat or to play cards, animal shelters love volunteers, and stroking the fur-babies is a natural stress-reliever!
6. If you’re not very active, how about joining a book club or craft morning, these are usually advertised in the local paper or the library.
Some fun ideas for keeping in touch with your old friends may include:
1. Coffee mornings/afternoons, arrange a day that suits you all, and each week, rotate where you meet; some-ones house, coffee shop etc.
2. Emails, one of the easiest ways to keep in contact. Even if you don’t have a computer, the library does! Hotmail is just one of the many free email sites out there, where you can check your emails where-ever in the world you are! www.hotmail.com – I prefer gmail as it gets less spam and doesn’t block attachments as hotmail does
3. ‘Snail Mail’, who doesn’t love getting a card or letter in the mail?! We’re not talking bills, but actual letters from close friends and loved ones.
4. Moonpig cards, I can highly recommend this site for overseas, www.moonpig.co.uk Fantastic for personalising cards and gifts, and as they are also in the UK, it saves on postage costs!
5. Phone calls, THE easiest way to have a chat. Great in Australia as local calls aren’t timed, so put the kettle on and get comfy!
6. Facebook, where age isn’t an issue! www.facebook.com, connect with your family and friends and you’ll be able to see what they are doing overseas in their posts, and vice-versa.
Our Facebook page has lots of good ideas and tips for around the home, so LIKE our page (NE: Solutions) and remember to Keep in Touch!
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#lifestylechanges #downsizing #deceasedestate #relocating #divorce
Written by Deb Reynolds