Love and Work Conflicts

When you’re slammed with work, the last thing you want to worry about is your romantic relationship. But the stress of a busy time at work can really hurt your partnership. Even if you can’t spend as much time with your love as you’d like, you can still make them feel needed. Here’s how…

Make every moment count
If you’re spending most of your time at work, you’ve got to make the rest of your time work for you and your partner. Instead of reading the newspaper in the morning, use those extra minutes as “together time.” Lay in bed and cuddle with your partner or sit down at the table and have a breakfast and conversation. Since date nights are probably few and far between, when you have a special night together it’s important to devote every moment to your beloved. Turn off your cell phone, turn off your “work” brain and turn your attention to the one you love.

If you find that you don’t have enough time or energy for sex, make room for it on your calendar. While scheduling intimacy might not sound very sexy, your partner would probably agree that scheduled sex is better than no sex at all!

Be more loving
When you can’t spend a lot of time together, be careful not to waste your limited time bickering over little things. Be considerate of how your busy work schedule might be affecting your partner. If they seem resentful of your job, try to remember that it’s only because they miss being with you. If arguments arise, try to give your partner the benefit of the doubt. If they’re testy or short with you, be more forgiving. Remember, your work schedule adds stress to both of your lives – so for the sake of the relationship, go easy on each other.

Stay in touch
Being overwhelmed with work is bad enough, but crunch time often means losing touch with the rest of your life, too. You can stay connected with your partner by making an effort to “talk” every day, even if you can’t actually have a conversation. Give yourselves a deadline. For instance, “We will touch base every day by 6:30pm.” Trust us, it works. Take advantage of technology and use spare moments to let your partner know you’re thinking of them. Although it may seem impersonal, voicemail, email and text messages can be a great way to show you care when time is short. especially if the message is flirty or seductive. Tell them what you’d like to do later, when you’re all alone.

You can also use the time on a bus or airplane to write your partner a letter. Nothing melts a heart like an old-fashioned, handwritten love letter declaring your affections. Or make the letter like a journal entry of all the things you’re thinking about but haven’t had the time to talk to them about. Either way, your partner will know that even though you’re busy, you still want to share your life.

If you’re under the gun at work, you probably aren’t even thinking about your relationship. But often, that’s the problem. Romance is a living thing, and it requires nourishment to stay alive. Even if you can’t give your partner as much time as you’d like to, make an effort every single day to show you still care.