Last Updated on October 10, 2012 by Mike

If you complain about a neighbor’s nuisances, chances are that you are doing something that may be triggering their behavior. It could also be that you are failing to do what you must to stop them from going ahead with the bad habits. Other than anger management options, here are tips that will come in handy when you realize that co-existing with your neighbors can be a breeze indeed.

Meet your neighbors

If you have moved into a new neighborhood, make a point of getting to know all your neighbors and their families. It is easy for strangers to do a negative thing in total disregard of its effects on the other person; however, if there is a familiarity between people, then the doer will always have some consideration for the effects of the action on the other person even if it is a mild one.

For people who have been in a neighborhood for a long time, inviting neighbors to lunch or dinner is a good way to get to know them beyond the roadside greetings.

Talk before taking action

Before you let anger cause you to make irrational choices of how to deal with a neighbor, first talk to them on how they have offended you. Talking helps to clear the bad air between the two of you and may yield an agreement on the future conduct, such as the need to inform the other person before proceeding with a given activity.

Talking about an issue is a way of giving your neighbor the benefit of doubt so that they can understand how their action affects you; remember the purpose of talking is not to condemn but to inform. Therefore, think of ways to discuss the situation amicably with your neighbors.

Avoid assumptions

The worst mistake you can make is to think that your neighbor knows what and why you feel that they should conduct their affairs in a particular way. It will not be surprising to find out that your neighbor has the same assumption of you, understanding why they carry themselves in a particular manner.

Assumptions can cause a bad feeling to brew between you two parties and by the time you realize, it will be too late to remedy the matter. Instead, always seek clarifications when in doubt. Go over to your neighbor and ask them if a certain action on your part is making them uncomfortable.

It can even be that your neighbors are allergic to dog fur and because you let your dog run around your yard or play too near their area, they are not too happy about it. Such a simple matter can arise into a nasty quarrel if you did not know that they have an allergy in the first place. You might even think that they are people who are uncaring and do not know how to love small animals! So always discuss before you take up any assumptions.

Procure services together

To foster cooperation, it is wise to get house service such as rubbish removal as a group, and this will provide a reason for building rapport. You can suggest the buying of service together, during a neighborhood meeting, if you have one. Once you decide on the service to get collectively, it is important to also craft rules of engagement so that you know how to handle the disputes that may arise such as those caused by late payments on service dues.

Crystal is an avid blogger who has written numerous blogs on waste management techniques. She has more than 15 years of industry experience in waste management solutions.