Even the most chilled out renter can become sweaty-palmed at the thought of finding a new roommate with only a week or so on the clock. Sure, you’re desperate for someone else to share the rent, but you also want to make sure they’re the right person to share your space. What if they don’t appreciate your Game of Thrones addiction? What if they only leave their room for the pizza delivery guy? What if they’re totally unsafe and irresponsible?!
And breathe. Finding the right roommate in a rush isn’t actually mission impossible, and with a bit of insider knowledge it can be a breeze. So how do you get started?
Breathe
First of all, relax. A few simple breathing techniques can make you feel balanced again, or give you an extra surge of energy if you need it. Emily Fletcher from Ziva Meditation says: “Stress and fear affect the diaphragm first, so anytime you’re in a high-demand situation, breathwork is key.”
Her recommended technique is called ‘Balancing Breath’ and can be performed any time, in any place. “Besides the immediate energizing or calming effects, the benefits of this exercise include oxygenating your blood and organs, and balancing the left and right hemispheres of the brain,” says Emily. “When we balance our left and right hemispheres in the brain, we’re able to better connect ourselves with situations, and perform at the top of our game – with both present-moment awareness and logical reasoning.” In other words, you can approach that last-minute apartment viewing or roommate meeting with a much clearer, more rational head.
Watch the video below to see Emily teaching the Balancing Breath technique:
If you liked that, we're giving away a free audio guided meditation from Emily all week. And if that wasn't enough, once you've downloaded it we'll enter you into a competition to win an 8 day online meditation course worth $250.
OK, now you're calm. What else can you do to give your search a boost?
Go to a SpeedRoomating event
The first (and easiest) thing to do is reserve your spot at a SpeedRoomating event. We hold these every week in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and all events are totally FREE. You’ll meet loads of potential roommates in one night, saving precious time you would've spent going to see apartments – and you’ll be in a relaxed, social and safe setting.
The events have a mix of people who are looking for rooms, and people looking for roommates – so whatever your situation, there’s plenty of people to talk to.
Looking now? Our next event is TOMORROW at The Penny Farthing near Union Square, so reserve your spot here.
Create a 'room wanted' ad
Searching for a room to rent? Looking through search results and contacting advertisers is one way to do it, but setting up a ‘room wanted’ ad can make the process even faster. It’s really easy to do – just add a photo and a few lines about yourself, and watch potential roommates come flooding to you with rooms to offer. Don’t just take our word for it though – 53% of users said they wouldn’t reply to someone who contacted them without a ‘room wanted’ ad or profile. That's a LOT of missed contacts. Set yours up here.
Seize the chance to LiveRentFree
And then there’s the ULTIMATE cure for rental anxiety: not having to pay it at all. Imagine going rent free for a month (or year!) – that blissful easy living, with a wad of cash to spend on whatever you like... Sounds like the dream, right? Well we can make it happen for you with our LiveRentFree competitions.
With a draw EVERY month (to cover one winner’s rent for a month) and a bigger annual competition that pays one winner’s rent for a whole year, there’s plenty of chances to enter. Just click below and keep everything crossed...
