“I think I just disappeared out of 2020 for a second” I said with a laugh as I placed the new face mask given to me by the Starbucks employee safely over my nose and mouth. There has to be some secret eject button in our brain that just stops computing life when it feels like too much. Maybe it was the helicopters nearing my house due to a car chase gone afoot. Maybe it’s the spiking numbers of Coronavirus in America. Maybe it was the final episode of Little Fires Everywhere. Whatever it was, I ejected from 2020 for long enough to leisurely pop into Starbucks to pick up my mobile order, totally forgetting to put on a mask. For someone living in Los Angeles where they’ve been mandatory for months now, that was CRAZY.

Each one of our journeys through this pandemic has had varying levels of difficulty. I know we’ve all had that moment of desire to fast forward through to when it’s all better, or rewind back to when facemasks and temperature weren’t in our daily vocab and our google search history didn’t have “Coronavirus” searched 20 different ways. But here we find ourselves in this very unique and challenging time of history. And as everything has come to a virtual halt, our interactions with the people we live with is at an all time high.

If you have roommates, first month was probably intense because you were all suddenly at home, with each other all the time. Now, after several months, some people have gone back to work and some are still at home. So how do we navigate life in this strange new norm? Here are a few tips I’ve gathered from people just like us, navigating this awful virus.

Keep the conversations light, especially if you live with more than one other person. Have some close friends you don’t live with to process the heavy, heavy stuff.
When hard conversations need to happen, seek to understand and actively listen. 9 times out of 10 the intention is not bad. Everybody has a side to the story
Set a schedule for grooming and cleaning. Showering, sanitizing the kitchen counters etc. It may feel sill but it’s the only way to ensure everyone does there part.

Create a balanced routine of alone time and activities with your roommates. If you share a room, work out a schedule with your roommate that allows you both some time to be alone in the room.

Schedule some fun in the calendar. Make it Fancy Friday where you all dress up like you’re going out and drink wine (or tea) together.

The most important thing to know is that the only person you can really be responsible for is you, so lead by example. Be intentional with working on your mental health during this time. Boundaries by Henry Cloud is a great book to read, especially during this time of lockdown. And of course, anything by Brene Brown. If reading isn’t your thing, check out her podcast, “Unlocking You.” Take advantage of this slowed down time to dig into some of your own issues. The changes that your roommates might see in you could spark their own desire to change themselves.

5 Tips on Navigating Roommates During Coronavirus