I can’t tell you how many times clients have asked me how to get their spouses/partners/housemates to unpack their suitcases after a trip. I have found that we fall into two distinct categories – people who unpack immediately after returning home from a trip and those who, well, just wait…and wait…and perhaps hope that their spouse/partner/housemate will just do it for them. (or perhaps they are hoping that the suitcase will just disappear?!) I even had a client who moved her husband’s suitcase directly into the entry area of their home at the front door to remind her husband that it was time to unpack. Instead he just walked around the suitcase to enter or exit the house!
What is it about unpacking that makes us want to avoid it? I’m inclined to think that it is just one more ‘to do’ in the re-entry process of returning home after a trip. It usually involves laundry and putting things away – putting them back in their assigned locations, and sometimes, if we don’t have a defined home for our things then putting things away is just a pipe dream. Or, perhaps it is our desire to stay in vacation mode and avoid our return to reality?
For me, unpacking right away is something I have always done. Perhaps it is the full circle feeling of ending my travels and re-entering my routine or just my Type A personality. It feels good to complete the task and have it behind me. I have had clients tell me it reduces their anxiety by eliminating visual clutter and helps to get their homes back into an organized mode. No matter what your style, it is worth trying the unpack sooner rather than later approach to see if it keeps your space and your things under control.