Health and relationships: getting along in the household
In last month’s section of Health and Relationships, we talked about what it means to date during a pandemic and we highlighted some socially-distanced activities you can practice with your significant other or romantic interest. In this blog, we are going to admit that oftentimes it might not be easy to be at home for what can be a variety of reasons - such as how well we get along with our roommates or... with our family members.
Living with roommates can be fun when you like each other. Whether they are longtime friends or new people in your life, you will all get along when there is communication and respect for each other’s boundaries. We all are human people who might not be feeling at our best at times and do not want to socialize, which is totally okay. However, certain preferences and house rules should be stated from the beginning that way everyone can avoid bigger misunderstandings. Hopefully, your roommates understand the challenges this pandemic has us facing, and we can all be understanding of each other’s space and what it means to take care of one’s mental health.
Now, let’s get real: unfortunately, a lot of people live in unhealthy or even toxic environments, and sadly, most of the time these situations are being lived due to other family members. Depending on the severity of your situation, you can find different ways to cope: whether if it’s by spending more time in your room working on a project or hobby, or if you have a car, taking a drive to enjoy a scenic view on a good day is quite enjoyable. The point is, to avoid the people you live with if anything becomes a trigger for trouble. Also, this might sound challenging, but it’s always a good idea to be polite; meaning do not ignore your family members if you live with them as this can create even more problems.
There could be many reasons why you’re still living where you do, and while you cannot get out, the best you can do is to either try to get along or avoid having problems. If you currently have a job, now is the best time to save as much as you can to improve your situation in the future, and if possible, to enroll in online lessons to better or gain skills. Also, here are some good online side gigs you can do from home to gain some extra cash.
Staying at home has not been easy for many. In fact, it has been reported that domestic violence cases have significantly increased since the beginning of the pandemic due to the closure of “non-essential” businesses. For those who live in an abusive environment, it might become dangerous to be at home for extended periods of time. If you or anyone you know is suffering from domestic abuse, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1 800 799 7233, for TTY (text telephone for deaf/hard of hearing/speech impaired), call 1 800 787 3224. If you are having an emergency situation, make sure to call 911 instead!
Remember everything in life is temporary - do not lose hope and seek for opportunities to continue growing and moving forward.