Moving Across Time Zones: How to Plan for a Seamless Transition

When you’re planning a cross-country move, there can be a lot of logistical concerns, but one of the most basic among them often gets overlooked — the change in time zones. On top of planning, packing and traveling, your body will be adjusting to this major shift in schedule. Over time, you will adapt, but there are some ways to diminish the immediate impact this change can have on you and your family’s health.

Working with a moving company with nearly a century of experience like United Van Lines can minimize the stress of any long-distance move. As America’s #1 Mover, we are the experts at preparing, organizing and executing successful relocations. No matter how complex your move may be, United’s professional teams can make the process seamless. 

Administrative Acumen: Mastering Pre-Move Logistics Across Time Zones

Packing an entire household can be a daunting task, particularly if this is your first big move. And when you’re relocating to a different time zone, coordinating the logistics takes even more time and energy. That’s why it’s critical to pick the right professional mover to help you with a cross-country move.

If you’ve ever shipped even a small parcel across the country, you know everything that can go wrong in transit. So, you can imagine the stress of waiting for your entire household — furniture, books, appliances, clothing — to make its way from one coast to the other with a questionable moving carrier. And, if you’ve gone the DIY route, being solely responsible for your own move is a whole other kind of headache.

United Van Lines provides customized, full-service moving experiences to eliminate the anxiety of moving. You won’t be wondering about whether all your packing cubes are being shipped together, or if the forklift damaged your glassware or if the movers will charge you extra on delivery day. And, you’ll never have to worry about pulling out into traffic in a giant rental truck.

All of United’s full-service moves are managed by a personal move coordinator, who will work with you to identify your needs and select the services that will help you the most. In addition to our standard loading, unloading and furniture placement, our specialists can help you pack and unpack, create custom crates for pianos, artwork, and antique furniture, and we can even ship your car. Of course, if you need storage during your move, we can build that right into your package. Your belongings will be securely loaded onto our professional fleet of vehicles.

Best of all, our fully integrated tracking system keeps an eye on your shipment 24 hours a day, so you can watch the progress of your move in real time in the MyUnited Move Portal.

Biological Harmonization: Resetting Your Internal Clock 

Moving to a new time zone can affect more than just your sleep — it can impact your mood, appetite and concentration. The more rapidly you try to adjust, the likelier you are to experience adverse effects.

That’s why some experts suggest gradually shifting your sleep and waking times before you travel. The smaller the increments, the easier you’ll find it to adopt a new circadian rhythm. Start by setting your alarm either 15 minutes earlier (if you’re moving east) or 15 minutes later (if you’re moving west). That evening, adjust your bedtime accordingly. This technique is also great for adjusting pet feeding and medication schedules. Consult your physicians/vets before implementing any changes.

In addition to slowly adjusting your internal clock to match your new time zone, you may also want to alter your daily light exposure. Summertime in northern climes means extra-long days, so it can be helpful to expose yourself to extra daylight during these hours. A light therapy lamp can do the trick. Similarly, blackout curtains can help decrease the amount of light during hours where it will be dark at your destination. Using these at home can help trigger the body’s natural production of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep. If you or your family members are struggling to adapt to earlier bedtimes, consult with your doctor about taking natural melatonin supplements or other homeopathic remedies, like herbal tea.

Eating habits are naturally disrupted during a move. It’s hard to stick to home-cooked meals when all of your pans are packed away. Maintaining nutritional balance during the process can keep energy levels normal and immune and digestive systems in good health. Sometimes that means making sure to order a salad with your pizza, or keeping a bag of oranges or apples handy during the car ride to your new home. The science is flimsy on so-called “jet lag diets” and fasting — it’s best to avoid drastic approaches that you’ve never tried before when you’re also managing all the changes of a move. Hardly anyone operates better when they’re hangry.

Staying hydrated goes a long way, too, especially if you’re flying. Limiting caffeine and alcohol can help keep you better hydrated and promote better sleep, so skip that late-afternoon latte, if you can, and forgo the glass of wine right before bed. It may make you feel drowsy, but it can actually make you more restless once you’ve fallen asleep. Listening to soothing music in bed or even watching slow TV can calm the nerves — old episodes of Bob Ross always make us happy little sleepers!

Synching Your New Schedule: Easing Back Into the Workplace

Planning for the worst-case scenario is always the best policy, and moving cross-country is no exception. If you are able, give yourself a minimum of 1-2 days for every time zone you’ve moved to adjust to your new home.

Whether you’ve driven your own car or flown to your new hometown, your shipment will likely arrive later than you do. You may want to stay with friends or rent a hotel room or condo during this period to make yourself comfortable until your mattresses and furniture arrive. This will make for a smoother transition to your new schedule. Your personal move coordinator will work closely with you to make the delivery schedule as expedient and predictable as possible.

When it’s time to return to work, ask if you can start remotely or on a hybrid schedule to make the adjustment period easier. Delaying a new and lengthy commute will buy you more hours at home to run errands, prepare meals, sleep and settle in. If your typical day runs from 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., ask if you can break up your core hours to tend to urgent matters, like deliveries and service visits.

You’ll especially benefit from some extra flexibility in your schedule if you have children and pets, as they will require some extra TLC during this time. Kids may be moody and anxious, so it’s normal for regular tasks and activities to take longer. Block out extra time to walk around the neighborhood, visit parks and find fun new places for treats, like boba and ice cream. Playing familiar games and reading together in your new house will help it feel like home sooner.

Navigating Remote Work Across Time Zones

Preparing colleagues and clients for your move is an important step in making a smooth transition to your new home. If you’re staying with the same company, block out time on your calendar for wrap-up meetings in the final weeks before you move, and add black-out dates when you’ll be out of office. The week before you move, set up your OOO messages for email, indicating your new time zone, contact information and set expectations about when people can expect a reply. Remember to change your status on co-working platforms like Teams and Slack, too.

If you’ll be working remotely from your new home, you may be coordinating schedules with colleagues and clients in different time zones. Apps and widgets like Google Calendar, Time Intersect-World Clock and Timezone.io can make it easier to synchronize with national and international co-workers.

Solidifying Your Sanctuary: Tricks for Making Your New House a Home

With all the self-care gadgets on the market, the best tool for adaptation is still your own mindset. Reminding yourself that the moving process takes energy and that adjusting takes time will allow you to relax and deal with any curveballs that come your way.

Maintaining your own routines — especially meals and exercise — will help your body acclimate to new surroundings more quickly. That said, it’s best to avoid activities that are overly taxing. Moving cross-country is not the ideal time to train for a marathon or an ironman competition. Give yourself permission to take walks instead of running, or meditate instead of doing hot yoga. Scope out the parks in your area, and see which gyms offer free trials. Signing up for a low-impact class like aqua Zumba or line dancing can also be a great way to meet new people who live nearby. Treat yourself with a coffee from a local joint close to your new digs as a reward, and scope out local bookstores and boutiques. Don’t forget to get a library card, too. 

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can be tempting to just sleep it off, no matter what time it is. When you arrive, try to adhere to local time, even if you do this gradually, and even if it’s hard. That may mean taking power naps instead of hours-long respites or going out for a short walk when your couch is really calling. Although caffeine after lunch can disrupt your sleep overnight, some people do swear by their “nappuccinos” — a little coffee before a short nap can perk you up just enough to get you through the afternoon slog. Drink extra water to make sure you stay hydrated.

Start Planning Your Next Long-Distance Move with America’s #1 Mover®

If you’re ready to move across the country, the first step is finding the right partner to help you relocate. Since 1928, United Van Lines has helped nearly 1 million families move to cities across the U.S. Over the past 90+ years, we’ve earned us the honor of being America’s #1 mover.

With us by your side, you’ll be well-prepared for the road ahead. All our full-service moves include loading, unloading and standard furniture and appliance placement. You’ll receive a thorough visual inspection of your property and an accurate, binding quote in writing. By working one-on-one with a personal move coordinator, you’ll know that your move is in the right hands and that all your needs will be met. If you need help with packing, unpacking, storage, custom crating, car shipping or removing moving debris, United Van Lines can also provide you with these services.

All the details of your move will be organized in the MyUnited Move Portal, where you can track your shipment 24/7.

You deserve to have a stress-free long-distance move. Contact United Van Lines today for a free moving quote to see how easy we can make your relocation.