5 Ways to Keep Relationships Strong in Stressful Times
"1. Discuss How You Each Respond to Stress
Everyone experiences stress, is impacted by stress, and copes with stress in their own way. By discussing how each of you tends to feel and think and act when you're overwhelmed, you can build a shared understanding of each other’s tendencies. This can help you make sense of your partners’ behavior such that it doesn’t feel personal: They are behaving in response to their own heightened emotions, rather than as a reaction to you.
2. Remember to Repair
What matters for relationships in the long run is not whether you have conflicts or not, but that you reconnect emotionally after the conflict subsides—doing what psychologists call repair. If you can, choose a time when you can give one another full attention, and listen without judgment, doing your best to understand and respect each other's perspective—even if you still disagree—and making sure to express how much you care about each other.
3. Be Explicit About Support
Two common ways partners offer support are:
- Emotional support, which involves expressing empathy, concern, and encouragement. For example, offering a listening ear and a hug when your partner has had a tough day.
- Tangible support, which involves helping your partner with practical things toward solving their problems. For example, taking on a chore that they usually do around the house.
4. Diversify Support
In times of stress, when we are working with limited emotional and physical resources, such expectations are especially difficult to live up to. It may therefore be useful to spread out your support team beyond just your partner if you can. Considering what support from family, friends, or community is available may reduce the pressure that stress is putting specifically on your relationship.
5. Notice and Celebrate Positive Moments
Whenever you have an opportunity, express gratitude and appreciation for your partner, give them a hug, pause, and notice together that this is a very challenging time and you are coping awesomely together in so many ways."
Read the complete article available at Psychology Today!
Reflection:
What are your thoughts on the article?
#Relationships #Communication #Stress
@comfortableNight4463
I like this. I like the recognition that relationships go through difficult patches. This seems obvious, but there seems to me to be a strong current trend of ignoring this fact. I find the recommendation to ditch the relationship if the other person does something you dislike, a little too prevalent. Sometimes ending the relationship is the right thing to do, but sometimes supporting it through difficult times is the right thing to do.
The things I find most difficult to do are:
Remember to Repair
I'm scared to reopen issues when the storm is over, in case I make them worse. The desire to keep the peace is strong, but I know that long term it can be harmful so I want to work harder on making that repair.
Be Explicit About Support
Yep. I could definitely do more of that.
Thanks for reminding me of things I do well on and things I could continue to improve.
A post on how to identify when a relationship is worth working on vs when to call it done could also be interesting to explore.
@Clio9876 Thank you for sharing your thoughts! It's wonderful that you were able to identify which aspects were difficult for you and which aspects you need to work on. You got this!
@comfortableNight4463
good, practical inputs. Thx for sharing
@blissart You're welcome!
I'm trying to work on this. I feel like some people I tell this to look at me funny, as if they weren't wanting to hear it in the first place.
@EmberShard I'm so glad you're trying to work on this. You got this! Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
@comfortableNight4463 Thanks so much for sharing! I find this very helpful!
@intuitiveEast6300 Thank you for reading! I'm so glad you found it helpful, have a wonderful day!