Home is meant to be your haven. A place of sanctuary, right? Well, unfortunately not for some.
Some people carry their work stress and anxiety all the way home with them and find it hard to separate the two.
If your partner suffers from work-related anxiety how can you help them get through it? How do you stop getting affected by it too?
Here's how you can support your partner if they are suffering from work stress:
Manage it together.
If you both have careers and both experience stress you may feel like all of that stress is too much for one household. But, experts say the more you experience your own stress the more empathy you have for your partner when they experience similar.
Listen
Most of us know when we are feeling stressed or have had a bad day we always feel better after having a little rant. Listen to your partner, encourage them to talk about it with the hope it can leave them feeling better afterwards.
It is not a competition.
If your partner does open up, don’t compare your stress or trivialise their stress. Sympathise and empathise and refrain from saying things like “You think your day was bad? Listen to mine”. It’s all relevant and when your partner is opening up and offloading, it’s your job to listen.
Encourage other outlets
Yes this is your partner and they deserve your support and undivided attention (put that phone away!) when they’re going through a difficult time but you can’t be their sole support either. Encouraging them to have friendships and hobbies that will help them offload which will benefit you both in the long run.
Don’t overlook warning signs.
If you feel that this anxiety is a little more than how your partner is presenting it, don’t overlook it. Listen to your gut - if you think they may be in a rut and need a little more support from a GP or a therapist, encourage them to seek help.
