Category: Stress Facts

 

When people think of stress, they are more often than not thinking about themselves. Stress is something the individual feels, experiences and has to deal with. Also, stress is to what extent it affects the people around you, and its lasting adverse effects. 

 

It’s especially important in the context of a marriage, where law binds two people and have a duty to raise their family and provide for their needs. That alone is a daunting task, and it becomes even more challenging as problems and stressors arise. 

 

In most societies, divorce or anything to that tune remains taboo. However, time apart in the sense of reestablishing one’s identity is entirely fair. There’s a healthy balance to having time apart as a couple to improve relationships and the wellbeing of the surrounding people. 

 

 What Is Time Apart 

The crucial thing to acknowledge here is that marital problems are completely natural. It’s a part of married life that couples must experience and resolve together. Time apart should never be a way to escape dealing with problems and let it become a band-aid solution that may or may not end well for couples in the long run. Time apart is giving the individual a chance to nourish their mind, body, and soul individually to encourage a lasting positive impact on the relationship. 

 

 

What It Does For You 

Time apart allows the individual a chance to think. When stress comes about, it’s easy to become angry, irrational, and say things without genuinely thinking about it. There’s much value in getting a chance to stop and think because it’s the only way we evaluate ourselves and what we feel. It means being less irritated, appreciating things more, and radiating more positive energy. Another critical aspect of having time apart is that it allows the individual space to revisit their passions. 

 

Someone who rekindles with their passions and makes time for hobbies are proven to be in a much happier disposition than the average person. In the case of a marriage, you may need to break away from your partner and family and focus first on what makes you personally happy and inspired. The happy disposition you can get from being passionate will surely reflect well for the family. 

 

Who You Do It For 

Who exactly are these “surrounding people” we talk about? At the core of the family unit are the children. Parents everywhere strive to be the best they can be by providing the best and most comfortable and positive living situation for their children. They are the most significant reasons to maintain a healthy relationship between parents. 

 

 

 Spending time apart doesn’t have to be the specific solution to keeping a healthy relationship. Explore the realities of your relationship and assess what will help bring it to its desired state. It could be time apart, counseling, a vacation, and there’s a world of options waiting. The message to keep in mind is that individuals need to take care of themselves to live in harmony with other people. 

 

 

 

Being in a relationship is a very special experience. However, due to chaos in society, stress has become inevitable for everyone. Having a healthy lifestyle is even more important now, including personal holistic health and working on your relationships. According to licensed clinical social worker Jody Ford, “stress impacts our love relationships more than we are aware of or acknowledge.” 

 

 

Stress is all around us–at work, at home, at school, maybe even at your local grocery store that has incomplete inventory. Because stress is unavoidable, the best solution is to accept it and help reduce stress levels by employing fun and stress-relieving activities. According to Dr. David Ballard, PSyD, ““When stress becomes chronic, this narrow focus continues for a long time and we have difficulty paying attention to other things.” There are a lot of stress-relieving activities that you and your loved one can do together. Below are six de-stressing activities you can enjoy with your partner today: 

 

• Workout Together 

Doing physical activities is a great way to relieve stress. Engaging in blood-pumping exercise releases endorphins, which are hormones responsible for promoting good sleep and reducing stress. More so, there are different types of exercises you and your loved one can try even at the comforts of your own home. 

 

 

• Have A Quiet Dinner At Home 

Enjoy a home-cooked dinner without bringing your mobile phones and other devices on the table. The distractions provided by your devices can affect how you enjoy your meal. Without the presence of mobile phones and other devices, you and your loved one can enjoy an intimate dinner and reconnect with great conversation and quality time together. 

 

Tip from LeMel Firestone-Palerm, LMFT, LPCC, CGT: Beware of trashing your partner (with others or in your thoughts), avoid making negative comparisons of your partner with others, or nurturing resentments.

 

• Play Some Board Games 

Put the board games out of the cupboard! Playing board games for a couple of hours is a great way to reduce stress and have fun with your partner. Connect and have quality time with your loved one by playing board games together. You can have an easy conversation while playing, and you can also laugh at each other’s funny moments during the game. 

 

• Schedule A Staycation 

A vacation doesn’t have to be grand and done in the neighboring city or country. Most people think that a luxurious vacation is always a solution to forgetting stress for a while. In fact, there are some things you can explore right in your own town or city. Because a grand trip isn’t always possible, trying something new right in your own town or city can be a great way to reduce stress together. 

 

• Have A Couples Massage 

Massages are a great way to relax your body and reduce stress levels. Doing it with your partner beside you can be a great way to relax together. A couples massage is a great way to relax and connect with your loved one. Forget the stresses of your days for a while and focus on relaxing with your partner.  

 

 

• Take A Long Walk Together 

Being in nature has a great effect on relaxing our minds and reducing stress levels. It’s also a great way to get the blood pumping in your body. Going for a walk together is a great way to improve you and your loved one’s moods. This is a great way to have quality time together and have a great conversation without the constant buzz of other distractions. 

 

You can also try couples therapy together. According to Margaret Wehrenberg, PsyD, “Psychotherapy can help sort out the cause, and that leads to the most effective treatment plan.”  

 

 

 

 

It may have felt like the best feeling in the world at the start, but every relationship usually goes through the phases of problems whether couples like it or not. However, problems and issues that always pop out and occupy each partner’s minds will result in relationship stress and are deemed unhealthy if left unresolved. 

 According to Simon Rego, PsyD, “We also know that the brain is very complex, so that many different neurotransmitters or ‘brain chemicals play a role in influencing, and being influenced by, our emotions.”

 

If you’re having this kind of confusion in your relationship, then check out all these sources of stress that are possibly hindering you and your partner’s healthy romance. 

 

Financial Issues 

While money is a sensitive talk among people especially between a couple, financial experts still regard ignorance of money issues to be one of the leading culprits of stress in a relationship. Real couple accounts agree to this, and even they are suggesting that money should be talked about during the early phases of the relationship. 

 

 

 

As a relationship goes deeper and deeper, couples will eventually share things – from basic household items to investments for the future. Thus, money will be significantly involved. Problems with finances, however, rise among partners if their perspectives are not considered by each other. Experts tell that women view money as security, while men take it as an indicator of self-esteem. Understanding each view is vital to set rules and limitations when it comes to joint spending and saving. 

 

Trust Issues 

It’s okay not to place too much confidence in your partner as a way of keeping your heart safe should things don’t go well. However, excessive mistrust may change the way your partner feel about your relationship. Too much lack of confidence in your romance may affect both your behavior and relationship with other people. 

 

Not having enough confidence in your partner is serious relationship stress in itself as your mind wanders and thoughts race every time your partner is not with you. Loss of physical intimacy may disappear, and irritable confrontation from having too much of this so-called trust issue can be damaging to both of you. 

 

Communication Problems 

Lack of communication can bring a lot of misunderstanding between partners.  Ignorance and inability to listen to each other’s feelings and opinions are also major factors significantly causing stress and strain in your relationship. 

 

Communication issues between the two of you may also stem from poor time management skills. Allot some time for you and your partner to talk about even the basics – the usual how are you, how was work, what are your plans, etc. Most importantly, tell your partner how much you love him/her, no matter how obvious it may be. 

 

Do not get distracted with your work, business or even social media accounts. According to Rachel O’Neill, Ph.D. LPCC-S, “It’s hard to step away from the constant cycle of news,” O’Neill said. “Whether you’re watching one of the 24 hour news channels on TV or you’re scrolling through one of the social media sites.” However, you have no choice but to do it.

 

Attitude 

The tension in a relationship can start from criticizing your partner. Comparing your partner or your relationship with others is not healthy and can be damaging to one’s mentality. Couples should be sensitive enough to their partner’s feelings. Keeping positive vibes and maintaining a positive outlook between you and your partner have long been identified as a solid foundation to make your relationship last longer. 

 

Physical Health 

Ignoring oneself can also affect your relationship. Being too conscious of your body by eating less, working overtime, and sleeping late most of the time can bring serious problems to your mental health and the way you cope with stress and tension. Learn to take care of you and your partner’s physical aspect by starting to manage the food you eat and your habits. 

 

 

You and your partner may not notice that these factors are slowly eating your relationship and affect both your daily lives. It is essential that the above aspects and prospects are known so as it may pave the way to fix the causes of whatever it may be that is bugging both of you now. Practice open communication and start discussing this relationship stress for a happier, healthier and lasting relationship. 

You can also try to go to therapy sessions. At the same time, downloading mental health-related apps can also be a good option. According to Sal Raichbach, PsyD, LCSW, “such apps have the potential to reach people who would otherwise not receive help by removing the barriers to treatment.” 

Stress is an inevitable part of life. While it can sometimes be good, pushing us to improve ourselves further, stress can often be more of a negative force. Such can become damaging not only to our physical health but also to our relationships. 

 

  Continue reading “How Stress Can Take Over Your Relationship “

 

 

The stress that comes with parenthood is immense. To find the perfect balance between work, marriage, finances and at the same time, raise the children in the best possible way is not an easy task and it becomes very stressful for parents to meet up all the demands of life equally well.

Parenting stress cannot be avoided. Be it pregnancy, delivery, feeding, schooling or teaching discipline to kids, each day brings new challenge for the parents and fighting with the daily hazards often make them “fatigued”. Alicia H. Clark, PsyD says “Even for the most skilled parents, parenting a child who has intense emotions isn’t easy.”

Continue reading “Dealing With The Stress Of Parenting”