Hate your neighbors?
When you live in a neighborhood and have neighbors in close proximity, it can be difficult if you hate your neighbors. Poor relations with neighbors can cause stress and anxiety in your everyday living. What can you do if you just don't get along with your neighbors? You won't get along with everyone, but feuding with people you share a property line, roadway, or even driveway with is never a good idea. Consider the following tips:
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1. Sincerely ask them for peace. A lot of neighbor feuds and poor relationships are spurred on by a lack of communication. So, before things spiral out of control, just talk to your neighbor. You do not have to like them, in fact, you can hate them, but just ask them to make an effort to communicate with you if there is a problem and try to maintain the peace in the neighborhood. A little conversation can go a long way.
2. Stay out of each other's way. The next step when you hate your neighbor is to just avoid them. You do not have to be around them if you don't want to be. Chances are you will see them from time to time, but if you are not on friendly terms with them, then don't spend time around them where you can help it.
3. Do not talk about one another. Neighborhood problems can escalate quickly if they become the topic of neighborhood gossip. This can lead to malice, hatred, and strife. So, instead, avoid the topic of them. If they get brought up, ignore the conversation, or change the direction of the conversation, as it will likely stir up some bad feelings. The more you focus on bad feelings, the more they fester and grow, so just don't talk about or gossip about them. It is better to pretend they do not exist.
4. Find ways to improve the relationship without investing yourself into it. Make cookies and include them when you give out Christmas gifts to the neighborhood. Invite them to neighborhood barbeques and other get togethers. Make sure that you do not exclude them, as this is fodder for fighting, just don't spend time one on one with them in those activities.
5. Be conscious of your actions around them. When you have a poor relationship with someone, your actions are often inspected more closely. If you do something that can be misconstrued as rude, or inappropriate, even if you did not mean it so, chances are it will be taken that way. So, when there are strained relationships with neighbors, be careful about how you phrase communications, and what you do around them. This does not mean walk on eggshells, it simply means take an extra moment to consider what you say and how you say it.
If you hate your neighbors, you are not alone, but don't let it make your time at home uncomfortable or unhappy.
