Work-related stress arises when work demands exceed a person’s capacity to cope and can have a toxic effect on personal lives, as well as take a toll on relationships. Research has consistently shown that people who experience professional stress feel less comfortable and less close to their partners, and are also unsure of their relationships. In Part 1 of this series, I’ll be teaching you how to spot the warning signs of work-related stress affecting your relationship early on before being pushed to the breaking point.

 

undefined


Cell phone addicted: People facing high work pressure find it difficult to stay away from emailing and texting even when their partners are around. If you are constantly on your phone when you are at home or out with your partner and paying more attention to calls from the office than to your partner, it can be a sign of professional stress beginning to get the better of your relationship.


Bringing work home: Unrealistic deadlines and unmanageable workloads often force people to bring their office work home. Also, being immersed in office work at home can make people unconsciously see their partner as a source of stress and want to avoid them. If your partner feels that you are there physically at home, but your heart and mind is always at the office, it could be the start of work-related stress beginning to affect your relationship.


Irritability: Prolonged work-related stress causes mood swings, lowers tolerance of frustration and impatience, and makes people grumpy and argumentative, forcing them to lash out at their partners. If you have lately begun getting easily miffed at anything and everything your partner says, then professional stress could be at play.


Deteriorating communication: Stress prevents us from focusing, impairs cognition, judgment and listening skills, and promotes negative thinking. Being overwhelmed with office work can make you feel chronically stressed and drastically reduce your ability to practice positive communication with your partner. If you find yourself arguing with your partner over simple issues, such as which one of you should be doing the laundry, without arriving at any solution, then it could be just bad communication due to professional stress.


Depression: Studies have shown that people undergoing work-related stress also exhibit depressive symptoms and complain of lower relationship satisfaction. If your increased workload has been accompanied by extreme lethargy and loss of interest in the essential elements of a relationship, such as going out, having sex, or having basic conversations with your partner, it may be a warning sign that professional stress is taking its toll.


Lack of intimacy: People suffering from work-related stress often feel too exhausted for sex because they are too tired or emotionally drained, and experiencing disturbed sleep. If you have been avoiding being intimate with your partner due to problems at the workplace, or begun using sex as just a way to reduce stress instead of bonding with your partner, then it could be a sign of professional stress affecting your relationship.


In Part 2 of this series, I’ll be sharing a few proven strategies on managing the effects of work-related stress without allowing it to harm your relationship.


If you would like professional help in managing the effects of work-related stress on your relationship, contact Orly Gueron a Licensed marriage and family therapist and relationship specialist in Aventura, FL!