With what is happening both locally and around the globe we are all under a certain amount of stress.
So I want you to take a deep breath and let it out slowly because when we are under stress often even the small irritations in our relationship become targets for our stress to vent upon. If we had larger issues before this those have not gone away and may appear even larger than before. So we need to be willing to seek assistance even in stressful times instead of taking it out on our partners and there are ways of doing that.
Being in isolation, in a limited space and if you have children even more limited and chaotic can put a strain even on relationships that are normally great. So take turns having moments where you are in charge of the children. Take time to reach out to your family and friends through Skype, Face Time, Social Media or Zoom.
If you were already in trouble before the world tilted you can still get help online. I know I am doing Zoom and Skype sessions with those who want to work with me that way and I am sure others in the counselling world are doing similar things. We are all working on ways to assist others to weather this storm as safely and as well as possible.
Sometimes you just need to talk to someone who is outside of the situation and who can see things differently. Sometimes you need some techniques to practice better communication or how to handle stress, anxiety or anger issues. Some couples just need a third party to talk about things that are really hard for them to talk about. What ever your issues might be you are not alone, there are people who can and will assist you if you reach out even in the situation we are in.
In times of stress we are often not making the best decisions and get into overwhelm or panic neither of which serve us very well. Everyone has moments when they need support or even someone to just bounce their thoughts off of. Be kind to yourself and your loved ones. This is a time where we all need to pull together and be compassionate even when it is difficult to do.
If you are unable to reach out at this time I suggest you focus on what you can do. Take time to self-care. If you want to yell at your partner or your kids take a personal time out until you can breath your way through it. Breath is a good place to start because when we get stressed we have a tendency to hold our breath or to breath shallowly. So take as deep a breath in as possible and hold it for the count of five and then let it out slowly and do that again and again, at least 5 times or until you feel calmer.
If you have questions please contact me locally at 250-384-1341 or in Canada 1-800-449-4657 or by e-mail at https://www.progressiveplus.com/contact-us/