A healthy relationship requires a certain amount of give and take -to a point. When your partner starts to rely a little too much on you for support, it may be time to get proactive about managing stress in the relationship or risk having it start to impact other areas of your life says Michael Osland.
Here’s how to help you and your partner cope with stress so that you can avoid this from happening.
Don’t Take Things Personally
Being able to separate yourself from what is going on in your relationship can be tough when everything seems so intertwined-especially when one of you is under a lot of stress. It’s easy for small comments or gestures from your spouse or significant other to feel like an attack, but this is probably not what they intended. For example, you’ve had a bad day at work and come home in a really bad mood.
You talk about it with your spouse who in turn starts to share the stress they are feeling over a situation that happened with one of their friends or family members. This can be misinterpreted as an attack on you-when in actuality they may have just been looking for someone to talk to about their own issues. It’s important to take things less personally when something comes up that could potentially add more stress into the relationship-even if it doesn’t seem that way.
Doesn’t Isolate Your Partner in Relationships
We all have those moments when we just want some time alone-it not uncommon. But when you are feeling stressed, it’s also important to remember that your partner doesn’t want to feel like they are shut out either. This is especially true if they are the ones noticing that something may be off with you-and most certainly if it has anything to do with them. There might be times where you just need some time away from each other so you can decompress and tackle things later with a fresh mindset or clear head. It’s all about striking a balance between give and take in the relationship so neither of you feels overworked or unappreciated for what either one of you contributes on a daily basis explains Michael Osland.
Avoid Nagging
While this may seem counterintuitive, nagging your significant other about certain issues can sometimes make the problem worse. If you are feeling stressed, it can be easy to dwell on something those angers or frustrates you-and before long, this manifests itself through nagging your partner about it which only adds more stress to their plate. When you are feeling worked up over something, try doing a little bit of self-reflection to determine whether it’s worth bringing up or sharing with them at all or if it’s simply something that they don’t need to be added onto their already full plate says Michael Osland. If you’re the one being nag on by your significant other, remember not to take it personally-they may worry about how things will affect both of you as a couple and might not always think rationally when they start taking those worries out on you.
Avoid Letting Stress Take over Your Relationship
All of the best-laid plans in the world can’t prepare you for when life throws you a curve ball-and it’s easy to let stress take over your relationship when something like this happens. Regardless of what causes the stress, it’s important to remember that each one of you is not responsible for making sure that everything is perfect. As hard as it may be with all things consider. Try your hardest not to make your partner feel guilty about their own struggles or problems by bringing yours up constantly. It’s also unfair if they are the only one trying to relieve any pressure from you by trying to do things. That logically should come as a shared responsibility-even if those responsibilities have been adding up.
Conclusion:
No matter the amount of stress you’re feeling. It’s important to remember that your partner doesn’t need any more added to their plate explains Michael Osland. If you are feeling stressed, try doing a little self-reflection first to determine. Whether the issue is worth taking up with your significant other or if you should just try to handle it on your own. Communication is a key-and sometimes the best way to do this is with a little bit of distance. So that you can both think rationally about whatever it is that’s bothering you.