Work-related stress is now at an all-time high and can negatively change the chemistry between couples, making a relationship fragile. In Part 1 of this series, I focused on how work-related stress can negatively affect relationships in a variety of ways. In Part 2 of this series, I’ll be sharing a few proven strategies on how to manage the effects of work-related stress without allowing it to sabotage your relationship.

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Don’t be a workaholic: We live in a 24/7 work world where the boundaries to keep work from spilling over at home are becoming blurred. Becoming overwhelmed with office activities and bringing work home can cause problems in your relationship because the more time you spend on doing office work at home, the less time there will be left for your partner. Stop remaining connected to your office all the time through cell phones, emails and other technology whenever you are at home or around your partner to avoid making them feel lonely and hurting your relationship.


Avoid spill-over: In any close relationship, both the partners share and experience each other's emotions. Since your emotions are linked to your partner's, stress can have a spill-over effect and impact your partner mentally as well as physically. Be aware of this emotional connection and take care to avoid your professional stress from spilling over to your partner and sabotaging their health and your relationship.


Coping jointly: Studies have shown that couples who tackle stress together go on to strengthen their relationships over time. If your partner is suffering from work-related stress, you can help them deal with it by taking the time to listen to, empathize with or solve their professional problems. By offering your partner support and space to work through their own feelings, you can soothe their stress and combat its negative effects on yourself and your relationship.


Respect different coping mechanisms: People undergoing stress at the office tend to cope with it in different ways. Some like to talk everything out after a hard day at work, while others need some downtime after work to decompress. There isn’t any right way of coping with stress, and even if you don’t have compatible coping mechanisms, recognize that your partner has a different way of dealing with stress and learn to respect it.


Spend more time together: If professional stress is weighing on you or your partner, it’s important to spend quality time together to improve your relationship. Walking, jogging or working out together will allow you to be physically active as well as spend more time together. Even moderate physical activity can have a mood-enhancement effect and lower stress levels. Shared humor is also an effective way to deal with stress and strengthen a relationship, as laughing together can alter your mood, calm you down and make you feel happy with your partner.


Positivity: Being stressed makes it easy to look at the negatives, including those in your partner or relationship, which impacts our satisfaction and happiness. When suffering from work-related stress, make an effort to focus on the things in your relationship that are going well, or the things about your partner that you like, which can have a positive impact on your relationship.


Intimacy: Don’t avoid intimacy just because you are stressed at work because that can make your partner feel unloved and harm your relationship. Being physically intimate with your partner not only helps relieve tension and anxiety, but also allows you to share your thoughts and feelings, demonstrate affection, and work jointly to solve any stress-related problems.


Ask for help: Sometimes, one partner may be at a loss to help the other cope effectively with work-related stress, or both partners in a relationship may be too overworked to help each other. If one or both of you is struggling with professional stress, don’t be afraid to enlist the help of a licensed therapist who can teach you how to manage work-related stress and prevent it from affecting 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!