Mr Rogers encouraged us all to be good neighbors. After all, life is a little easier knowing that someone cares about you. In addition, giving kindness to others can be a huge encouragement in itself! For construction workers, traveling corporate executives and medical professionals staying in travel nurse housing, it can be more difficult to build long-term neighborly relationships. Despite this, even short-term friendships can reap great rewards.
How to be a courteous neighbor
If you stay in short term rentals on a regular basis, you probably have a move-in / move-out routine down to a science. Maybe it goes something like this…sign the papers, pay the fees, pack up, move everything in and start getting adjusted to a new temporary home-away-from-home. After a few months or when your nursing assignment ends, the whole process starts over.
But don’t forget the human element of moving to a new location. In today’s world, kindness means more than it ever did before. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that “the only way to have a friend is to be one.”1 Below are some tips for treating your new neighbors with respect and encouraging friendship.
- Be mindful of your pet(s) and how it may affect neighbors. Here at Shreveport Bossier Corporate Housing, we gladly accept new tenants who want to bring their dog or cat along to live in our travel nurse housing. With that being said, it still is important to keep a dog on a leash when necessary and clean up after doggie restroom breaks outside.
- Don’t host loud parties or have music etc playing loudly. Essentially, treat others like you’d want to be treated. After a long shift at the hospital, you definitely would want a neighbor to respect your needs for sleep.
- Be considerate about where you park and about where you leave your things outside. Messy neighbors aren’t very well liked.
- If you feel comfortable with it, take a trusted friend and knock on your neighbor’s door and introduce yourself. Or, use a service like NextDoor to get to know the people living around you. Be proactive about promoting positive relationships with neighbors.
- Offer to help a neighbor in need. If you’re living close to an elderly person, watch out and see if he or she may need some help with groceries or in some other way. Of course, don’t be weird about it, but if the interaction comes naturally and you’ve already been working towards developing a friendship, go for it! You may just make someone’s day. In addition, if a neighbor has young children, consider leaving a few coloring pages or other small gift for the kids to enjoy.
Travel Nurse Housing: Short-term stays with long-term friendships
In conclusion, it can only take a small gesture of kindness to make a big difference in someone’s life. You may never know how much a smile, wave or act of selflessness means to a neighbor. Our fully furnished travel nurse housing will help you feel at home while you’re staying in Shreveport. Yes, it takes some effort, but friendships are always worth it. Start making a difference today!
Sources: https://www.southernliving.com/culture/mr-rogers-quotes, https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/want-to-be-a-great-neighbor-heres-how-to-start/2018/10/01/77939c08-c0cd-11e8-90c9-23f963eea204_story.html, https://www.thespruce.com/neighborhood-etiquette-1216903, https://blog.nextdoor.com/2020/03/25/7-ways-to-help-your-neighbors-during-coronavirus/, https://www.adt.com/resources/be-a-good-neighbor, (1) https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ralph_waldo_emerson_100740
