Adjusting to the new world of coronavirus and social distancing is hard enough, but being locked up with your family might be the biggest test of all. Life’s pace has drastically changed and we’ve been stripped of our routines, but it’s easy to forget that it’s not our families fault.

Whether you’ve been forced to move back home, you’re living with your partner or you had to move in with auntie Edna, most people will face some sort of cabin fever and take it out on their nearest and dearest.

I wasn’t ready to be ripped away from university life, where I could leave my dishes until the next day without judgement. But here I am, once again living under the watchful eye of my parents, who actively go looking for the bowl I used for my Cornflakes.

My family and I have definitely come to blows over trivial things, like who ate the last Magnum Mini ice cream (this wasn’t trivial, it was double chocolate) but we’ve come up with a few ways to make lockdown life harmonious (most of the time):

  • If the news isn’t updating you with important information, turn it off: Being constantly bombarded with bad news is bound to make at least one of you feel anxious and/or negative, which tends to rub off on the rest of the clan. 

 

  •  Find your own space: I found it impossible to do university work in my bedroom because I just ended up having a nap, but I needed a place where I wouldn’t be disturbed. We transformed the spare room into a work space and it made such a difference. 

 

  • Facetime friends or other family members, so you don’t feel like you’re only interacting with who you’re in lockdown with. 

 

  • Pick a series to watch with your family and schedule it in: My family and I have dedicated ourselves to ‘Harry Potter Sundays’, but you could also do ‘The Fast and the Furious Fridays’ or ‘Tiger King Tuesdays’.

 

  • It’s important to do your bit around the house: If you add to the mess and don’t deal with it, you’re automatically making people’s lives harder. Our rule is, if someone cooks, the other person cleans! 

 

  • Lastly, be aware of other people’s feelings: These unprecedented times have brought new pressures and challenges to EVERYONE. 

 

If you can implement these tips into your life, remind yourself daily that you’re lucky to have a roof over your head and ask before you eat the last ice cream, you will survive lockdown with your family.