Don’t let stress ruin your relationship

Here is a scenario common in many relationships; both partners work in stressful jobs and then come home to the pressure of being a parent and running a home. This situation can often lead to arguments, intolerable frustration and, finally, splitting up. So what are the main pitfalls to avoid if you want to keep your relationship healthy?

Well, it was reported in the Telegraph this week that a study conducted by the Florida State University College of Business concluded, after interviewing 400 working couples, that the main thing to avoid is competing with each other about who had the worst day. This makes sense. It’s something we have all done at some time, become frustrated by the self-pity of another and retorted by explaining how bad things can really get … outlining a day in your life!

Of course, most of us would struggle to remember a time when this ever ended happily. Instead it just leads to more arguments, more frustration and more chance of splitting up. If you have children, it’s also very upsetting for them, not to mention unfair.

It is important to offer support to each other, to know when the other has had a particularly bad day and forgo your own need for a bit of sympathy. In fact, you will more than likely get a lot more support back when you need it the most if you’re prepared to give it to others. If you are going to survive the rigours of work life then you must have a place where you look forward to going, a place where you will get support when you most need it, and a place where you can enjoy your time away from work. This place should be your home.

The study also concluded that couples with the highest levels of support at home were more satisfied with their marriage, were more likely to say that they have a good relationship with their colleagues and concentrated better at work. They were also less likely to say they were tired after work, feel guilty about neglecting their family and were less critical of their spouse and children.