Conflict in Confinement
How long have we been in quarantine, five days or five weeks? Like me, you might be going a little stir crazy being shut up in the house as Facebook and Instagram continually scream at you about social distancing and protecting vulnerable people. While I may take this social shaming to the point of avoiding trips to the grocery, even when I desperately need toilet paper, social distancing doesn’t solve all of our problems. In fact, we can be just as harmful to those around us, even if we have no symptoms of any illness. I am talking about those who are locked up with us, our roommates, siblings, spouses, or children.
When we spend significantly more time with the same people, eventually conflict will also become a constant companion. You might be more annoyed at the way your sister leaves her cereal bowl in the sink instead of the dishwasher, or how you seem to be the only one doing the laundry while your husband pushes play on yet another episode of The Office. Little things that might ordinarily be a small annoyance suddenly fuel the power behind the knife you use to cut up the potatoes for dinner. Without time away from one another, conflicts will escalate. So how do we change this?
Address the issues before they begin
If you can set expectations for rules during quarantine and have an atmosphere of open communication, you can avoid heated confrontations later.
Set up a safe space
Designate a place in the house where anyone can go to be undisturbed and take as much time as they need to cool down. We all need some time to ourselves.
Take a walk
Nature is not off-limits in this quarantine. Vitamin D and exercise can significantly increase your mood.
Click Here to Learn More Effects of Walking
If you can resolve it, do, but don’t tackle an elephant
The best way to resolve an issue is to talk about it and get both parties’ opinions, but if it’s a giant issue that has gone on way before this quarantine, don’t expect that now is a good time to talk, wait for professional counseling.
Practice Love
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) Take a section each day to practice and you may be surprised by the fruit of your labor.
