Stress Affects Our Relationships

We have all been “overworked” with work, problems or obligations at some time. And, surely, at that moment we have realized that our mood had an impact on others. Bad answers, general sadness, lack of energy … Maybe you had not realized it, but did you know that stress affects our relationships?

Stress and everyday life

If we are stressed, the body manifests it in different ways: we can present from exhaustion to anguish. Going through sleep disorders and reaching the evasion of work or personal obligations.  Stress increases the chances of getting sick, forgetting things, or causing accidents.

Stressors are diverse and not always related to work. An important event such as our wedding, a trip or the birth of a child can have the same effects as overtime, meetings and calls for attention from the boss.

All of them are events that we face with great nervousness and that we are not able to carry out with the resources that we have at our hand.

Of course, this affects our relationship with ourselves and especially with those around us. Both in the office, at home or with family members.

Stress at full power: “Burnout syndrome”

Increasingly, people feel overwhelmed by commitments and long work hours. When extreme mental and physical exhaustion occurs due to stress, it  is called ” Burnout Syndrome”. Literally, it means “to be burned.”

In addition to tiredness, this problem is characterized by two well-defined symptoms:

• A lack of professional self-realization (not having clear goals or objectives).
• A depersonalization in relationships with others (stop visiting friends, calling family, etc.).

Anyone who is physically or psychologically exhausted no longer has the ability to perform their tasks adequately. Being disturbed and exhausted makes us make mistakes, exposes us to work accidents and makes us less effective.

In order to counteract this syndrome so common in these times it is essential:

• Define responsibilities.
• Set aside hours for rest or exercise (or any enjoyable activity).
• Avoid being overwhelmed by circumstances.

How stress affects your relationships

Today, one of the main causes that people have stress comes from work. Either due to excess workload or lack of employment, which mentally disturbs those who are unemployed and their environment.

However, we have to bear in mind that we are neither machines nor robots. And that we must work to live, not live to work. There is life outside the office, so we should avoid as much as possible “taking” problems home … Because if not, what should be our refuge (home and family) becomes one more space of problems and discussions.

Stress affects our psychological and physical well-being. When we return home after a tiring day, instead of seeking peace and quiet, our brain wants to keep thinking about what happened at the office. But we must stop him. You have to disconnect. If not, we will end up unloading our frustration with who we are closest to: our partner, our children, our parents, etc.

This automatic and unconscious reaction seeks relief and reduce the pressures that we have had during the day. However, the effect we achieve is the opposite. We end up arguing about money, about the way we let ourselves be treated, about the future, etc.

The quality of marriages is damaged by work stress. When we have a bad day at work and it doesn’t end when we leave the office, but continues at home. Negative pressures are “passed on” to the partner or children and the family mood is stormy. Children can experience the same or more stress than parents.

For example, in a home where parents are always moody, exhausted, or irritable, children are more likely to miss school work or absenteeism due to illness. It can also make them more aggressive or students who do not follow the orders of the teachers.

Reduce stress to have better personal relationships

In addition to looking for pleasant or relaxing alternatives, to alleviate the harmful effects of stress it is important to have good support from our loved ones. Strong emotional ties from family and friends can help reduce or prevent stress-related symptoms.

Therefore, it is vital to establish solid ties that allow us to counteract “burnout”. When we get home, it is preferable to sit quietly and tell what happens to our partner or friends. Knowing our limitations and our emotions is essential if we want to be helped by those we love so much.

You can do the test for a week to see the differences.

• When you leave work, leave there everything that worries you, what stresses you, what irritates you … When you set foot in your home, think that it is your lair, your refuge or your burrow.
• From that moment, do not talk about your meetings, tasks, reports or conflicts with colleagues and supervisors.

Especially during dinner time (a family reunion time par excellence), try not to touch that type of topic. On the contrary, focus on the good of your day. Although it may seem insignificant, you can be thankful for having traveled sitting in the subway, having found a place to park your car or having heard the birds in the park while you ate lunch.

All this will have a favorable impact on your personal relationships and you will put stress and problems aside. Realizing the source of stress and being able to verbalize it is essential for your social life to be full. It is not about ignoring problems, but about treating them in the healthiest way possible.