Relocation Therapy

The N.Y. Times looks at how moving to a new property can have positive psychological effects:

“Our home represents comfort and another way of identifying ourselves,” she said. “Your identity is changed by loss, so you think of changing your house, too.” People may see a move “as a way of starting over,” she added, “even a way of undoing the bad thing that has happened. It’s a defense mechanism.”

But is it a healthy defense mechanism? “There’s no right answer,” Dr. Saltz said. “But I certainly wouldn’t board up the house the week your spouse leaves. “We don’t process things instantly,” she said. “Being guided by a desire to run might lead you to a financially or emotionally unwise decision for yourself.” Unless, she said, “it means moving somewhere you had always wanted to be anyway.”

Steve Clowney