It happens to everyone, and if you say it doesn’t, you’re probably lying. It’s easy to get irritated with the people you live with, and it’s even easier to get into little arguments about the things that bother you about the other. My roommate is my best friend, and I love her to pieces, but sometimes we just want to strangle each other. Here’s a four step process on how to handle those conflicts:
1. Back off.
Sometimes, my roommate and I get annoyed with each other, and sitting on opposite sides of the room gets really awkward. Instead of sitting there and getting our daily fill of discomfort and irritation, we separate by leaving the room, thus giving each other a little time to breathe. It’s always nice to get a little time to breathe. Being stuck in a room with a person all the time can occasionally be aggravating (even if you love him or her), so getting out and giving yourself some breathing room is refreshing and relaxing.
2. Talk it out, and be honest about your feelings.
I’m the type of person to pretend that everything is okay and everyone is happy, even if deep down I’m internally screaming. This definitely does not help when it comes to conflict, but it’s always best to move past the awkwardness and talk about the situation. My personal favorite way to start these conversations is with photos of Ryan Gosling. If something your roommate does is a bother to you, tell him or her. If you don’t like how he or she plays Christmas music every morning while he or she gets ready, tell him or her. If you get extremely annoyed when your roommate forgets to replace the toilet paper holder, let him or her know. Talking it out can make things a lot easier, and can keep you from upsetting him or her and vice versa. Plus, you can definitely laugh about it later.
3. Take a walk in their shoes.
This kind of falls in line with the previous one, but it helps you understand how the other person may feel about the things that upset him or her. If your roommate just absolutely hates that you come home late some nights, try seeing the situation from his or her point of view. Maybe they have 8 a.m. classes (bless his or her soul) and you coming in at 2:30 a.m. wakes him or her up, and they have a hard time getting back to sleep afterwards. I don’t know about you, but that would probably annoy me a little too. In knowing and understanding how he or she feels, you can try your best to avoid conflict with your roommate.
4. Get some food and let it go.
If all else fails, food can solve all of your problems. Bake some cookies, make some popcorn together, or just get some food from the Student Center, and let all of your problems fade away. In the words of the wise Ron Swanson, “There has never been a sadness that can’t be cured by breakfast food.” So get some waffles and be happy!
