I am having a hard time with noises in my apartment. I live in a 3-family house. My close friend, her husband, two small children (4 and 3) and anxious dog live on the main floor and I live in an apartment above them. I love the apartment but the walls are thin. Because of COVID, I haven’t been able to go out on the weekends like I used to so I’ve spent my weekends in the house and have had a difficult time dealing with the noises of their growing family and anxious dog.
This long President’s Day weekend, the plan was to sleep in and relax, and I guess I have done that to a certain extent. But the mornings are tough. The kids start running back and forth like it’s the International Speedway around 5:30am. Because this is such an old house, I can sometimes feel the vibrations of them running. This running is accompanied with screaming, banging things, dropping things, the dog barking and all the noise. If they go somewhere without the dog, the dog will whine, cry and bark continuously for hours on end until they return. This weekend, they didn’t go anywhere, so I got the running, screaming and banging kids. This morning, I can tell they are gone because, as I am writing, the dog is barking and whining.
I know it is my thoughts, but I am having a very hard time not letting it get to me. I just want some peace and quiet. I know they are doing the best that they can with COVID and not being able to take the kids to the parks and other local events that would typically fill their weekends.
What can I think to be ok with screaming running kids that interrupt my sleep and a whining barking dog that disturbs my ability to sit and enjoy a quiet weekend day?
C: On a weekend day, My landlord’s kids run and/or the dog barks.
T: I just want one day of peace and quiet
F: Frustration
A: Every time I hear I noise, get frustrated. Complain to other people. Don’t enjoy my long weekend. Focus on what’s not working.
R: I don’t have peace and quiet.
T: I can’t believe they allow the kids to make that much noise when they know other people live here.
F: Resentful
A: Take every noise personally.
R: Believe I can control other people.
T: If I could leave, this wouldn’t be so bad
F: Self-pity
A: Focus on all the things I used to do before COVID that got me out of the house. Feel sorry for myself.
R: I make this bad with my thoughts.
