This article originally appeared in MindBodyGreen.

Relationships can be challenging at the best of times, but during a pandemic (especially when stay-at-home orders are in effect) those difficulties can escalate. Setting boundaries to protect yourself from emotional trauma becomes more complicated when you’re stuck inside with toxic roommates, partners, or family members. So, what do you do when it's not safe to go outdoors or stay inside?

If you are feeling uncomfortable at home, it's essential that you set firm boundaries. You have limited mental energy already, and you don't want to expend it getting stuck in difficult, draining, or stressful situations. That energy is necessary to keep your mind clear and to keep cognitive functioning at its highest level, giving you the ability to think wisely and manage challenging situations.

This kind of mind management is essential in these scenarios. My most recent research demonstrated that mind management was able to reduce anxiety, stress, depression, angst, edginess, hyper or hypo-vigilance, irritability, and so on, by up to 81% in any given situation. 

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