Keep Your Relationship Healthy Even During Stressful Times

Stress doesn’t just take a toll on your physical, emotional, and mental health. It can also take a toll on your relationship’s health.

Photo by William Rouse on Unsplash

There are so many ways a relationship can be stressed. The loss of a job, birth or adoption of a baby, grieving, or a pandemic requiring everyone to stay home can all cause significant stress in a relationship. The stress is so significant, in fact, that it can push the relationship to its breaking point if not managed.

The thing about management, though, is that often the focus is on managing the stress. But what if the stress can’t be managed? Sometimes you can’t do anything about a stressful situation other than push through and wait for it to pass.

So what do you manage then? Instead of trying to manage the stress itself, try to manage the way it impacts your relationship. Take steps to keep your relationship healthy and happy despite the stress bombarding it.

Engage in physical touch

Physical touch releases oxytocin, also known as the cuddling hormone. It increases feelings of connection, and decreases pain, blood pressure and cortisol levels. Cortisol levels rise with stress, so oxytocin can make you…