How to Overcome Stress in a Relationship

No one wants stress in a relationship, but it often seems impossible to avoid. Jobs may be time-consuming, money may be tight and children can be demanding, and what suffers is your relationship with your partner. A certain amount of stress is normal, but overwhelming stress is unhealthy. Stress within a relationship that interferes with your life needs to be addressed. Working with your partner is the best way to go about it.

Instructions

• 1

  Attend a support group. Many times just talking to someone else in a similar situation helps relieve stress and ease tension. You and your partner may choose to attend a group separately or together, but both of you should be working on what's causing the stress. Support groups are often free and have flexible meeting times.

• 2

  Enroll in a yoga class. When stress in a relationship comes from something that's out of your hands -- a partner's serious illness, for example -- the best thing to do is relieve the tension it produces. Yoga is a proven way to relieve stress and anxiety (and keep you in shape). Very little talking is done is a yoga class, allowing you to become more in tune with the moment, rather than thinking about outside stressors.

• 3

  Seek professional help. Sometimes the one you love the most is the hardest to talk to and resolve an issue with. If this is the case, a therapist may be helpful. The therapist can act as a referee and keep the discussion fair. Many insurance plans cover therapy, and sessions can be attended together or separately. As with a support group, however, it's better if both people in the relationship recognize that there's a problem and decide to take steps to resolve it.

• 4

  Prevent stress from accumulating by working it off physically. Once stress builds up, it's harder to handle. Regular exercise such as bicycling, walking or jogging provides wonderful stress relief. If your partner is willing, try an activity that you can both can participate in and enjoy.

• 5

  Schedule a couple's massage. Quite a few spas offer this ultra-relaxing way to de-stress. A private room is booked for you and your partner to have side-by-side massages in. If a little time apart is needed, schedule massages separately; then meet afterward for a date.