The Marriage Counseling Blog

Coming home from work after a hard day can lead to a stressful evening. Staying at home with the children all day can be just as stressful and evenings may bring more stress. For couples who experience a lot of stress when they are apart, it is important to learn how to relieve your stress and unwind at the end of the day together.

Unfortunately, a stressful day can cause people to be irritable, tired, and frustrated when they are home. It can cause increased conflict and arguments, furthering a person’s stress. When work is stressful and home becomes stressful, it makes for a difficult life.

Learning how to seek solace in your partner is important. Home should be a peaceful place that helps you unwind from a long day. It shouldn’t stir up more feelings of anxiety and contempt.

Angela was a stay-at-home mom and Adam worked for a busy marketing company. When Adam came home from a long day at work, he was often in a bad mood. Angela was often stressed out after being at home with the children all day. When Adam walked in the door, she would sometimes immediately start talking about their finances or about money. Adam, who was still feeling frustrated about his day at work, was often short-tempered with her.

He sometimes tried to avoid her in the evenings because he didn’t want to talk about money and parenting issues. He tried to isolate himself, which further caused Angela to feel frustrated. Then when they were in the same room, they tended to argue. This added stress to both of their already difficult days.

Angela and Adam could benefit from learning how to help each other manage stress. Angela could have learned to wait before bombarding Adam with more problems. Adam could have also spent more time with her and the children and helped relieve her of childcare and household duties in the evening.

Marriage can help people relieve their stress or it can add to it. If you and your partner are causing stress for one another on a regular basis, it is important to examine this as soon as possible. Learn how to help each other relieve stress. This may involve setting aside a nightly ritual of talking about your day or spending time playing games with the children without talking about serious issues. It might also mean going for a walk together and agreeing not to talk about money until a pre-arranged time.

When couples help each other manage stress, they often look forward to being together. This can greatly improve the marriage. It can also improve the quality of your life.