For people all across the US and the rest of the world, the COVID-19 predicament is felt in various different ways, but also with many commonalities. It’s not easy being cooped up in an apartment for weeks on end. As you handle your day to day, do what you can to look out for and take care of yourself, and don’t lose sight of the needs of your very own community.
Your Franklin West neighbors are all up against the same struggles, and there’s plenty of uncertainty as it is, but that uncertainty will meet the light of day and this will resolve. In the meantime, as tensions run high and you may not encounter your neighbors in the same ways as before, be mindful of them so that everybody may get through this as easily as possible.
To help navigate this brand new way of life that may feel like an assignment in a naval submarine, here are a few ideas that might just make this time a bit more bearable for everybody.
Be Patient with Your Neighbors
Deep breaths are important. This isn’t the wellness suggestion you may be used to seeing. We’re not actually talking about measuring air into your lungs, but rather timing your responses to things that may be bothersome. For instance, if one of your neighbors is entertaining their little ones with five hours of Baby Shark, then do your very best to wait just a short while before coming to them or the Franklin West staff with your complaint.
The main idea here is to avoid a heat-of-the-moment debacle that erupts into a feud. Five hours of Baby Shark is rather excessive and enough to drive anyone up the wall, but a little bit of patience is better fuel for civil discourse than retaliation or nastiness. On the other side of that coin, if you’re thinking that hours of Baby Shark will be good for your toddler, then please do-do-do think of your neighbors’ sanity.
TIP: Take advantage of practicing the 24-Hour Rule. This great rule of thumb is actually a sports reference that says, “Parents/guardians are not allowed to confront a coach, team or league official to discuss any “negative” game or practice situation with the coaching and management staff until at least 24 hours has passed from the completion of the game or practice.”
When your neighbor has their tv turned up a bit too high or sounds like they are breaking in a new pair of heels, we ask you to apply the 24-hour rule and take a pause. Find out if the issue was a very small, isolated incident, or if it’s a recurring thing in need of addressing. Furthermore, waiting 24 hours before reaching out to your neighbor or Franklin West allows for the conversation to be calm and effective in solving the issue.
Coping Mechanisms
It’s silly to expect anyone to act completely normal through all this. And it’s completely okay if you recognize you’re not in your usual state of mind. That’s why it’s important now more than ever to find a way to cope with the stresses you’re facing.
- Exercise is a great coping mechanism. Find a workout video on YouTube to get your blood moving so your body doesn’t feel neglected. Do your best to free the stresses of your mind by allowing your body to help out. As always, please be cognizant of your downstairs neighbor. Even if you are exercising at “normal” hours, remember that everyone’s “normal” hours are different. If you have hardwood floors and high ceilings, remember that these attractive amenities can cause sound vibrations to be amplified. Simple jumping jacks can sound like a stomping parade to the apartment dweller below. One remedy is investing in additional rugs or mats to dampen the sound and vibration for the benefit of those below.
- Laughing really is great medicine. Find something that tickles your funny bone and chuckle away! There’s tons of great standup on Netflix and YouTube as well as award-winning comedy shows ripe for the picking. You don’t need to go on a complete binge, but even just a small pick-me-up can brighten up your day and clear your mind.
- Connect and re-connect with friends and family. You’re no doubt a frequent Zoom user now if you weren’t before. Make an effort to add time to your calendar that isn’t work-related to connect with an old friend group you haven’t spoken to in a while. Drop-in on your best friend or a sibling to see what they’re up to. You can even play some games over a video call. Check out Heads Up in the App Store or Google Play Store.
- Take a nap! If stay-at-home measures have allowed you any more flexibility in your schedule, then listen to your body if it’s tired. Get some good shut-eye and perhaps you’ll wake up after twenty minutes feeling like a million bucks.
Sharing Facilities
When it’s chore day and you have all your laundry to do, be sure to give others their space. Of course, this always applies, but for the health and safety of our communities, it’s especially important now. If it’s a bit too crowded in the laundry room, then revisit later and go do some of your other chores. Don’t have any other chores? Offer to do someone else’s. Just kidding. If it’s nice out, go take a much-needed socially-distanced walk outside and smell the fresh air. In short, just go relax for the time being.
Much of the same applies to common areas as well. Leave space for others so that nobody feels uncomfortable or worried about potential exposures.
What to Expect Regarding Apartment Maintenance
If you have any issues in your apartment, then please submit your requests as usual. As always, we’ll be doing our best to fix any issues in a timely manner. Be mindful of the urgency of your requests.
Our maintenance personnel is dedicated and diligent, but they also want to limit their contact with others in the same way you do. If it takes longer than usual, then we do apologize, but we are trying to look out for everybody’s health and well-being.
That said, do not hesitate to submit your maintenance requests. We want to know of the issues you encounter and keep a record of them when they first appear. Just know that a toilet spewing water into the air like a geyser will likely appear on the maintenance to-do list before a loose knob on a cupboard.
Upcoming Scavenger Hunt
Another way to help with the shortage of things to do at the moment will be our upcoming Franklin West scavenger hunt. We’ll send out more info when it’s all ready, but you’ll have a week to complete it. The scavenger hunt will be composed of a mixture of questions based on walking tours and info available on the Franklin West website. If you have a keen eye for detail and a love for puzzles, then be sure to look out for this upcoming activity for all! (P.S. The winners will receive a gift card to a local shop.)
Keep Doing Your Part
In light of everything happening in the world, we want to thank you for participating in curbing the spread of coronavirus. It’s not a great hand that we’ve all been dealt, but by playing our cards right, we’re sure to come out on top with our communities as healthy as possible. We appreciate you and encourage you to let us know what more we can be doing at this time to make sure you’re as comfortable as can be in your home.
