Our Guest Post author is Jennifer Scott. Jennifer Scott has experienced anxiety and depression since she was a teenager. With SpiritFinder, Ms. Scott offers a forum where those living with anxiety and depression can discuss their experiences.

Some major life transitions present great opportunities for personal growth and improvement – even (and especially) the stressful ones. Making a big move is one of these transitions. Moving can be scary, exciting, miserable, and fun – depending on whom you ask – but the one thing that it is for all people is a great time to kickstart some positive life changes.

“Look at the areas of yourself that you’d like to make changes to .. transitions are an opportunity to begin practicing new habits and ways of interacting with other,” notes the Huffington Post. Here are some tips.

Make your move about resetting your diet

Making poor eating choices is often about getting into a comfortable, unhealthy routine. Many times, this routine revolves around certain fast food and other unhealthy dining options that have close proximity to one’s residence. When you move, it’s an opportunity to bust out of the mental cycle that leads you to frequent these particular unhealthy eating establishments.

Not only that, but when you move into a new house/apartment you are saying hello to an empty fridge and pantry. You can stock it however you want, and you should make the choice to stock it in a healthy manner. Here are some simple tips for how to begin a healthy diet.

Make your move about organization

There’s nothing more stressful than a messy house, and nothing more satisfying than a clean, organized one. Check out this article on ways to create a home environment that is happy and healthy.

Despite our best efforts, it’s often hard to keep a house clean and organized if we simply have too much stuff. When it comes to making a big life change, there are few better than downsizing. Even if you aren’t moving to a smaller home, you can still benefit from a little downsizing.

One way to begin downsizing your stuff is to think about things through the lens of a couple of handy rules. One such rule is the house fire rule. It may sound a bit morbid, but it’s helpful. Think about your house being on fire. What are the first things you would save? Start a list, in order of what comes to mind. These will be your most important possessions.

You can also try the “one year rule”, as described by Money Crashers: “If you haven’t used a particular item in the last year, you’re unlikely to use it in the next year. And if you’re unlikely to use something in the next year, then you’re unlikely to use it at all.”

For any sort of utility item, this rule holds true. Of course, it needs to be modified when it comes to heirlooms, photos, jewelry, and other trinkets that hold a lot of family history or sentimental value. Check here for 20 good tips for downsizing.

Pick one unhealthy habit and get rid of it

It’s hard to make big changes in your life, and even harder to make a bunch of them at the same time. Try to pick one bad habit – maybe your worst, most expensive or destructive habit – and focus on stripping it from your life.

When you move, you decide what goes with you and what goes in the trash. You have the ultimate say on how you furnish, arrange, and stock your new abode. This control makes it easier (but definitely not easy) to begin to rid yourself of a detrimental habit. For a step-by-step guide to ditching a bad habit, check here.

Don’t miss an opportunity to turn a transformative life event into something that transforms you, as a person.