Sometimes in college, we get a roommate who doesn’t think about other people. Whether they make loud noises in the morning or insult you and don’t consider your feelings at all, these roommates are hard to live with. Here are some tips on how to help if you ever get into a situation with one of these unwanted roommates.
1. Talk to them.
To be honest, some people don’t really think about the fact that they’re living with other people. They don’t think they have to respect and consider another’s feelings and habits. So, just talking to them and reminding them of this can help. For instance, just asking them to be a little quieter when they know you’re asleep may help your case.
2. Don’t bottle up your emotions.
Let’s face it, sometimes as people, we tend to bottle our emotions up so much that it results in an emotional explosion. This emotional explosion could end up with one crying or yelling at the person you have a problem with. To be honest, bottling up your emotions is not very healthy for you and may make you even more stressed than you were before. The best thing to do is to air out your emotions and let that roommate know how you feel.
3. Take a Break.
Sometimes if a roommate continues to be inconsiderate this can cause frustration or even anger. So, the best thing to do is to walk away and come back after you’ve calmed down. No, running away is not the first option to consider but it is helpful. It can help you to not only calm down but also to reflect on the situation you’re in. It’ll help you reflect on how to best communicate most clearly to your roommate. Also, this tactic will help you to relax so you’re not super tense. If things ever get too frustrating with your roommate go somewhere else that comforts you and just try to calm down.
4. Relax.
Going into a conversation frustrated and tensed up will do neither of you any good. Just breathe and let yourself relax. The more level-headed you go into a conversation the more likely a good outcome will come out of it. Going in angry may only cause the roommate to become defensive and not listen to what you have to say.
5. Don’t spend too much time thinking about the situation.
Sometimes when something becomes frustrating, people tend to fixate on how to fix the problem or how annoyed it makes them. Yes, you should take some time to think over your next move but don’t let it consume your thoughts. A lot of times these roommates are not worth the extra thought. Concentrate on the positives in your life like your friends and family and at the end of the day, just remember that you only have to live with them for the school year. Then after that, you can hopefully find a roommate that is more considerate of you then they were.