Bills, children, work, school, schedules and performing a weekly balancing act all contribute to the largest amounts of stress in most people’s lives. And after all of that, we eventually remember to love.
With everything else going on in our lives, love and our most intimate relationship end up toward the bottom of our list. The majority of us are pretty confident that our partner will be there because that is the one person that truly understands all that we have to get done in this life. They understand because they usually have the same things going on at the same time. Our assumption our spouse will always be there and that we will eventually get the time for love provides us the excuse we need to put our energy and focus into all of the other “to do” items.
The finances, balancing family and career and everything else that comes our way contribute greatly to our level of stress. It becomes hard to focus when our mind is constantly in worry mode. The reality is those “to do” items aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, so our focus must become how to maintain the love and happiness in our marriages in the midst of it all.
While we may sometimes feel as though we are carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders, having a partner by our side can make life so much easier. If we allow them too, our spouse can help to relieve a great majority of our stressors.
Sometimes physical touch, if just for a moment, can help us quickly escape from it all. A back or foot massage from our spouse reminds us that we are loved in addition to helping us relax. Holding hands, a kiss and a comforting and lengthy embrace all are great forms of touch to share with our mate. Don’t forget about the healing power of making love. Frequently experiencing that level of intimacy has great benefits including reducing the risks of certain illnesses, making us less irritable and contributing to an overall positive attitude.
A conversation can also go a long way. Occasionally we just need to talk through our challenges to someone who loves and understands us. Sometimes our mate doesn’t even have to say a word. Being heard is often times what’s needed the most in a specific moment.
During those times we may be too frustrated or tired to verbally communicate, taking a walk with our spouse is comforting. Without saying a word, it is calming to know our spouse is there. Being in their presence is soothing enough.
Music has always been a great way to relieve stress. Adding our spouse to the mix is even more fun. Playing our favorite song and sharing a dance with our mate brings our focus back to what’s most important: LOVE!
Planning ahead with schedules and bills will ultimately avoid stress in those areas altogether. We along with our spouse can budget and put a plan into place that will allow us more time in the areas we have previously neglected.
Life is going to continue to happen; it won’t stop just because we’re stressed. However, our blessing is in the person God has blessed us with. When things get too complicated or we feel too worn out, isn’t it a great feeling to know we have someone to turn to?
BMWK, how do you and your spouse relieve stress together?