Separating Work Stress from the Rest
Life is all about balance. However, that is easier said than done. In life you have to care for yourself, but also account for your loved ones, work, health, etc. And while the challenges in life make it worth living, it can easily be overwhelming at times when you feel like you are juggling too much under a lot of pressure.
Some stress from work is normal, but once you feel like it is affecting your personal life then that is when you need to reevaluate things. But how do you know when your work stress is seeping into your love life?
One sign is excessively talking about your job outside of work. Of course you want your partner to know about your work life, but if it becomes all you talk about and obsess over that can cause some friction. For starters, your significant other doesn’t work with you (I am assuming) so they can only relate to a certain degree. If you are talking work 24/7, you may eventually loose their interest. Remember, you want your partner to know all about you including your work, but you aren’t not trying to recruit them for your job. Exchancge funny or serious work stories, but also balance your conversations about things you can both chime in about.
Another sign is that you are physically at work late every night, which takes time out of your personal life. Sure we all have late nights, but if it is happening more often than not, you need to stop and think: Do I need to be staying late? Is it urgent? Can this wait? Yes at the time everything seems urgent, but if you stop and really try to prioritize, it helps bring to life what really matters.
So what do you do if it isn’t you, but your partner who is struggling to balance work and life itself? Here are a few ideas to try:
Be their rock
Talking about work all the time isn’t healthy, but if you need a good vent session it can really help. If you see your partner overwhelmed after work, let them unload by laying it all out. And once it is out there, you can choose to just listen or provide advice and move on. Sometimes it is just nice to know someone is there to listen and validate what you are thinking.
Impromptu date
See that your partner is down after a hard day at work? Plan an imromptu date. It can be in or out of the house, whatever you think will bring their spirits up. Either get a reservation out to distract them or dine in with a movie and cuddle. Either way, they will enjoy the effort you are putting in to lift their spirits.
Job hunting
Let’s say things are really bad, just help your partner job hunt. Make a night of it. Order in a pizza and pull put two laptops. The hardest part of finding a new job is doing it on your own. If you offer to help, that is a big weight off their shoulders and shows how much you care.
Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Christina aspires to be a public relations professional in a big city after graduation from James Madison University. In her free time when she’s not blogging away about dating and relationships, Christina loves to go shopping, watch Netflix and play with every puppy that crosses her path.