Important Things to Remember to Protect your Relationships

Is the 24/7 togetherness wearing thin as a couple? Is the pandemic-related job/health/cabin fever stress building under one roof?

It can cause real strain on relationships. Tempers can flare and behaviors can spiral out of control and hurt those around us.

Here’s some important things to remember:

-We need each other. Work it out, especially now - one measure of a healthy relationship is how long it takes to apologize and repair -Make a clear, firm verbal contract to never name-call, shout or do any other negative behavior you agree is unacceptable, and stick to it. Apologize when you slip and do it over.

-Avoid saying: you always... you never.... or every time you....instead state: when you did that, I felt....

-If there’s something bothering you, don’t point fingers and blame. Instead, say you notice you feel......when......and ask - what it’s like to hear that?

-Ask how the people around you are doing. One of the most effective coping mechanisms is getting out of our own head by focusing out on helping others. Whether a FaceTime, making dinner, cleaning, expressing a gratitude, what can you offer someone else right now?

For more on becoming emotionally available, see my online intimacy course here: