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[Did] Limiting myself to 3 boxes a day while packing

Still mid-move and finally gave myself an actual rule instead of just telling myself to take it slow, which never works.

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3 boxes a day. Once the third one’s taped shut, I’m done for the day, momentum or not — and it’s actually working!

Before this I’d pack in one long push whenever I felt good, then couldn’t move much for a while after. My husband ended up handling stuff he really didn’t need to be handling on top of everything else going on with him, which kind of defeated the whole point of me helping out.

So mornings are for the heavier stuff since that’s when I’ve got more in the tank, and afternoons are light boxes only — linens, random drawer junk, nothing that needs my legs. If box 3 gets taped before lunch, I genuinely stop and leave the rest for tomorrow.

Felt lazy at first, not gonna lie, when there’s clearly more to pack. But we’ve still got time before the move, and going slower beats being out of commission again like last time.

Comment 4

  • SunnySide10.09 11:32

    The one long push and then not being able to move thing hit close to home, I did something similar a couple weeks ago except it was groceries instead of boxes, carried in 6 bags in one trip because I didn’t want to make two separate trips, and spent the next day moving around like I’d pulled something just reaching into cabinets.

  • dewdrop10.09 13:23

    thanks for posting this, it’s a good reminder – setting an actual number instead of telling yourself to take it slow is smart, might try that approach for other stuff too

  • MossBaby10.10 03:57

    Did something similar after a shoulder flare-up last month, 4 boxes was my number too, the hard part is stopping once you hit it even when you still feel good

  • GlowHarbor10.13 03:01

    Setting an actual number instead of just telling yourself to take it slow makes so much sense, since ‘take it slow’ never actually works for me either, I just keep going until I physically can’t move. I tried something close to this back in July when I was helping my mother pack her kitchen, capping myself at 90 minutes before switching over to sorting paperwork instead, and it kept me from being

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