Stress doesn’t just affect how partners feel on a daily basis; it also changes the way you perceive your partner.
When we are stressed, we are less likely to see our partners through loved-up lenses — instead, we start noticing the little things that annoy us about them. Stress can also sap our emotional energy, leaving little room for partners to focus on nurturing their relationships.
This article will explore the impact stress has on the way you perceive your partner, and also, endeavor to provide some tips on dealing with stress.
How Stress Can Impact The Way You Perceive Your Partner
When we’re feeling mentally and emotionally overwhelmed, stress can change how we look at our partners. This can impact the feelings we have for them, as well as the things we notice about them.
The truth of the matter is that when we are not stressed, but happy, relaxed, and in love, we can tend to see our lovers through rose-colored glasses — overlooking their faults and flaws and focusing instead on everything we love about them.
Conversely, when we are experiencing elevated stress levels, it can be easier to see our partners through a negative filter. As well as this, when we are stressed, we often become both mentally and emotionally drained.
This usually means that we have less energy to pour into our relationships, which can worsen existing problems instead of nurturing the bond partners share.
Identifying the Cause of the Stress
Needless to say, it’s hard to deal with something you haven’t taken steps to recognize and understand. Whether it’s a difficult coworker, a disagreement with a family member, or a struggle to balance working full-time while studying for an online social work degree, the first step is identifying the cause of your stress.
Some of the most common causes of stress include:
Workplace Stress
When we’re overworked in our jobs, we can become stressed, or worse, burnt out. This type of stress can be caused by excessive pressure in the workplace, taking on too much responsibility, or even conflict with our colleagues.
Family Pressures
Parents will know better than anyone how stressful family life can be. Screaming kids, demanding in-laws, and a neverending list of household chores. All of this can contribute to an overwhelming mental load, and cause our stress levels to rise.
Poor Mental Health
While stress can be attributed to the development of mental issues if left untreated, conversely, our stress levels can also be exacerbated when we are experiencing poor mental health.
Yes, everything seems harder when we are in a negative headspace — challenges we’d normally take in our stride can feel insurmountable when we’re already feeling down or anxious.
Strategies to Help Relieve Your Stress
If you’re feeling emotionally overwhelmed and it’s negatively impacting your relationship with your partner, consider trying different strategies to help relieve stress, such as:
Embracing Healthier Lifestyle Choices
When we’re feeling stressed, our self-care can fall by the wayside. But this is exactly when it’s most imperative to look after yourself.
Neglecting your diet and making poor food choices can exacerbate your stress, as can failing to exercise regularly. Indeed, regular exercise can do wonders to release anxious emotions, and is also best supported with a healthy, balanced diet.
Ensuring You’re Getting Enough Sleep
As part of a healthy lifestyle, sleep is essential. Yes, getting a restful slumber every night is paramount to support our mood and energy levels, and help reduce our stress.
Most experts recommend at least 7 to 9 hours of quality shut-eye per night. To help you get the best rest possible, consider implementing a sleep hygiene routine, including optimizing your bedroom so that it’s conducive to restful and restorative sleep.
Connecting Socially with Other People
Social connection has a huge effect on our mood. Connecting with others helps us lighten up, laugh, and perhaps most importantly, learn to see the positives, even through our stress.
Seeking Professional Support
Finally, if you’ve tried all of these tips and you’re still feeling overwhelmed, it might be time to see a therapist. Licensed counselors can teach us evidence-based strategies to help regulate and reduce our stress, assisting us with developing a more positive mindset.
Stress is a normal part of life, and short periods of stress are okay. But if stress if overtaking your life, and it’s starting to affect your relationship, it’s probably time to consider what is causing it, and what you can do about it. You never want a temporary problem to have a negative or lasting impact on something so important to you.