Stress Management 6 Ways Being a Better Neighbor Can Reduce Stress By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 12, 2023 Reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by mental health professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by David Susman, PhD Reviewed by David Susman, PhD David Susman, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist with experience providing treatment to individuals with mental illness and substance use concerns. Learn about our Review Board Print SDI Productions / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Aim to Socialize With Neighbors More Often Extend Help to Your Neighbors Build a Sense of Security With Your Neighbors Keep Your Home Looking Nice (Within Your Budget) Make Yourself More Available Offer to Be a Listening Ear Trending Videos Close this video player 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. At a Glance Our neighborhoods can contribute to our overall well-being. If you're living in an area or near people that aren't so healthy for you, you can easily become stressed.Fortunately, we do have some control over our relationships with others so creating good relationships with your neighbors is a good place to start. 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. How to Be More Outgoing 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. There are so many ways we can help out our neighbors and receive help in return. So, learn more about your neighbors over time and see what they might need help with. 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. 7 Tips for Staying Motivated to Clean Your House When You Are Depressed 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. Always Ask What Kind of Support Someone Needs You can ask what kind of support they need and they might just want to vent to you. If that's the case, then simply listen to them and show empathy. 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. How Social Support Contributes to Psychological Health 2 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Li F, Luo S, Mu W, et al. Effects of sources of social support and resilience on the mental health of different age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Psychiatry. 2021;21(1):16. Published 2021 Jan 7. doi:10.1186/s12888-020-03012-1 Porges SW. Polyvagal Theory: A Science of Safety. Front Integr Neurosci. 2022;16:871227. Published 2022 May 10. doi:10.3389/fnint.2022.871227 By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Helpful Report an Error Other Submit