“How’s your day going love?”
“It’s going, you?”
“Same, I miss you.”
“Miss you too, what are dinner plans?”
The above is pretty much a copy/paste from many interactions I know I’ve had as well as others. The interaction is not negative. However, things inevitably get missed in our busy lives and we end up feeling disconnected from our partners. The more things happen, the less couples talk about the things that matter. Read along to find out how you can prioritize connecting with your partner when you are both career driven.
If you break down the hours of the day, most of us spend the majority of our time either at work or, if you are in Houston, commuting to work. This doesn’t consider those of us who may do work duties at home on the weekends or in the evenings. Add in slightly varied work schedules and some type-A personalities, and some of us may feel like our partners are in a relationship with their jobs more than with us. Or maybe we are the people who are married to our jobs in the relationship. How do we prioritize connecting with our partners when work and life balance seems skewed in the work direction? Try utilizing these tips to help you connect in your busy life!
- Set boundaries around personal time
- Work phone or work email goes off – put an away message if needed
- Don’t discuss work during this time, talk about kids, house, walk down memory lane, those neighbors with the pesky dog who won’t shut up
- Are there any new interests you have? Hobbies? Curiosities? Venues you want to see?
- Communicate this to your partner, “I know we both get caught up in work, but I would like to make this date night about just the two of us. I’m turning my work phone off completely, do you think you could do the same?”
- Ask questions about work that go beyond work – Work IS a huge part of our lives, it’s natural to want to talk about it. So do! But let’s do it in a way that helps us feel connected and close to our loved ones.
- What made you excited about your job today?
- What is something that happened you never would have expected?
- What was the low point in your day? High point?
- Turn everyday things into purposeful, connecting rituals
- Hug your spouse while they are washing dishes, even just for a few seconds
- Ask what music they want to listen to and turn it on, this can act as a really good mood check-in as well
- Don’t underestimate a good, old-fashioned cuddle and make-out session for five minutes
- Take a bath/shower together
We shouldn’t have to choose between our work and connecting with our partner. Let us make sure that in our quest to be the best working individuals we can be, we don’t forget the loved ones around us that are supporting us to get there.
If you and your partner need support finding a healthy work and personal life balance to allow for deeper connection, reach out to us to schedule a free 10 to 15-minute consultation. You can send us an email at admin@naturalbalancecounseling.com or submit an inquiry right here on our website!