While many things in the lives of a college student changed with the emergence of COVID-19, I think we can all agree that one of the hardest things has been living with our families again 24/7. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a little family time, but a spontaneous game of Uno on a Thursday night is very different from being locked in your home with no one else to talk to but your family. So, I’ve compiled some ideas of ways to avoid your family for a little while or simply ways to deal with them when they’re around.
With everyone’s families working from home or doing school online, it tends to be fairly easy to stay holed up in your room and do your own thing. That’s how I avoid my family the most, but it also helps to do things that make it clear you do not want to be bothered, for example, playing music for concentration whether it’s through earbuds or radio, or even putting a do not disturb sign on your door. Hopefully, your family members will be kind enough to respect your boundaries, but you may have to sit down and have a conversation with them. Remember that your well-being comes first.
But there are also lots of ways to benefit from being at home with your family. There are lots of ways to sit down and learn more about each other, like playing games together or even just talking by the fireplace. My mom and I sat down and created our own vision boards together; it was something fun to do, but we also learned a lot about each other and completed a project that’s incredibly helpful in goal setting. You can also do a lot of family activities together like going on drives or trying new hobbies that bring everyone closer. My family took the opportunity to talk about things my brother and I learned in our first semester of college, and we all ended up learning something! Isolation gives us a rare opportunity to connect with those closest to us.