Everyone knows that moving can be an incredibly stressful experience no matter how many times you've done it. Even if you find moving exciting and are looking forward to clearing out and getting into your new place, it can still be hard to get everything done in time without turning yourself into a crazy ball of tension and frantic energy. However, trying to handle everything at a break-neck pace is a great way to forget something and trying to do everything at once is how to get behind on your packing. Whether you're bouncing off the walls or totally freaking out, the first step is to calm down.

Give yourself a break, take a deep breath, and think rationally about your move for a moment. Not only do you need to be working from a checklist but you also need to make sure that you're taking care of yourself. To help you do this, we've got five great tips to get you through your move with at least a little less stress.

1) Purge Things You Don't Need

If you feel like there's just too much to pack, you're probably right. Chances are that there is no need to pack 100% of the items in your home. Many of them will be redundant, obsolete, or junk you never got around to throwing away. Other things are perfectly good but you just don't need or want them anymore. Take some time going through your items and be bold about separating out everything you don't want to bring with you to a fresh new start. Those old gym pants you always sort of hated? Donate them to someone who needs them. That bread making machine you never used? Donate that too, or sell it on eBay if you have the time. You might be surprised just how good it feels to literally unburden yourself of unwanted possessions.

2) Pack One Room at a Time

For anyone getting overwhelmed with how much packing there is to do, stop looking at your home as one big packing project. Pack your home one room at a time and try to get an entire room or half a large room packed in a single day. This will not only give you nice, short, achievable goals but it will also help you accelerate your packing experience because victory is in sight. Don't forget to keep those donation bins handy, as you'll inevitably find more things that don't need to come along.

3) Remember to Sleep

We all stay up late to make more time for packing after work but one of your biggest mistakes can be short-sleeping yourself too much. When you don't get enough sleep, it's easier to become confused, frazzled, and feel like challenges are bigger than they really are. Remember to get five hours a night at the minimum and remember to fully sleep yourself out on the day before the move so you're nice and fresh for travel.

4) Get Comfy with Box-Furniture

Especially if you're disassembling and crating up furniture as well as all your smaller possessions, you're going to be sitting, eating, and living among boxes for a little while both here and in your next home after the move so you might as well get used to it. One fun way to do this is to arrange some stable boxes, perhaps the ones full of books, into chairs and low tables then invite a few friends over for pizza, movies, and help packing the rest of your home.

5) Relax While the Movers Move

If you have hired movers, we know it can be incredibly tempting to hover and micro-manage the move but, rest assured, your movers know what they're doing. If you have special instructions or concerns, share them when the movers arrive and then feel free to kick back and relax somewhere out of the way while your movers take care of the rest. Let go of your stress with the assurance that the next stretch of your move is in the hands of professionals.

Moving may be an exciting challenge but it doesn't have to stress you out. Remember to keep your cool, take things one task at a time, and take care of yourself as well as your possessions during the move.