6 Ways Being a Better Neighbor Can Reduce Stress

Our environments often have an impact on how we feel—this includes our neighborhoods. If you're living in a loud area or living next to neighbors who haven't been that nice to you, your mental health can take a hit.

So, it's worth it to examine your neighborhood surroundings to figure out what aspect of it is causing you stress. While you may not have much control over the noise in your neighborhood, you can work to better your relationships with your neighbors.

Aim to Socialize With Neighbors More Often

We know—this sounds like a nightmare to homebodies and hermits but it's worth stepping out of your comfort zone and at least saying "hi" once in a while. You can even start with just a wave.

Considering many people are busy or dealing with their own life stuff, we may not get to link up with friends and family as often as we'd like to. So, stopping for a quick chat with a neighbor next door is a good way to get your social juices flowing.

Keeping our community connections is healthy for our overall well-being too. During stressful situations, our social support systems can protect us from the emotional and mental consequences of stress.

Extend Help to Your Neighbors

Some people love to cook and other people may enjoy planting flowers. If you love to cook or bake, maybe bring some fresh-baked cookies over to your neighbor who has a sweet tooth. If you see your neighbor working in their garden, offer to help them plant a few flowers especially if you've been blessed with a green thumb.

If you get to a point where you really trust your neighbors, you can offer to babysit or host playdates for your kids if they're close in age.

Maybe a neighbor's car broke down and they need a ride to work, you can offer to drop them off at the mechanic when their car is ready.

Build a Sense of Security With Your Neighbors

It's always good to know that other people are looking out for you. Let's say it's super late at night and your neighbor calls to let you know that they saw someone near your home. You then have time to call the police and do something about a possible intruder.

Cultivating healthy relationships with neighbors can give us a sense of security. Security makes us feel safe. When we feel safe, it allows our nervous systems to function properly which, in turn, supports our physical health.

Keep Your Home Looking Nice (Within Your Budget)

We've all been around neighbors who don't care for their homes very well and it's a total eyesore. Now, while upkeeping a home can get expensive for some people, something simple like cutting the grass can do wonders for your yard.

Well-kept homes are more inviting and will only serve to foster better connections with neighbors as they may feel more inclined to visit if your home looks welcoming enough.

Make Yourself More Available

If you're comfortable going for jogs or walking your dog in our neighborhood, there's a chance you'll run into neighbors quite often so use those runs-in to strike up some small talk.

While not everyone will return the friendliness immediately, it's a quick way to get to know people and build relationships, even if you've lived close for years and haven't really said much to one another.

Offer to Be a Listening Ear

Painful and tragic events happen to everyone at some point in their life—you and your neighbors are not immune from this.

Let's say you find out that your neighbor's mother passed away. After giving some time to grieve, you may visit and offer your condolences in person. Maybe you'll offer to help them with some chores if they've wallowing in their grief and are unable to get out of bed.

When you go through a stressful event like getting laid off or going through a breakup, your neighbor will likely be there for you in the same way you were for them. Knowing that someone has your back and will listen to you without judgment is sure to alleviate your stress during hard times.