Keeping a marriage healthy when you both work from home can be difficult. You must see each other pretty much all day, and sometimes you might not get very much alone space or time. There are some tips that can work to strengthen your marriage if you both need to work from home.
Have Separate Working Spaces
Having separate work spaces or separate rooms for each person is so incredibly important. Trying to work together at the same desk is just not something that’s going to make for a wonderful relationship. Brides.com even states that it’s important for each person to have their own space while they’re working from home. For you, this may mean that you and your partner need to work in separate rooms. If you don’t have a designated room for each of your work desks, at least try to have a bit of separation between the desks.
Schedule Time
When you are working remotely, you should schedule time together on a daily basis. An excessive work environment schedule can take its toll on a marriage. Create quality time for your marriage. Carving out that time can strengthen your personal relationship.
Set Boundaries
Don’t intrude upon the other person’s work area. Documents and other paperwork can get jostled around, and you don’t want to contribute to cluttering up someone else’s space. Many people keep their documents and office supplies exactly where they want them, so getting yourself involved in another person’s work area can just lend itself to confusion and lack of productivity.
Likewise, you should try to be as quiet as possible if your partner needs to make a lot of phone calls in their business setting. This shows your partner you care about their work-from-home job.
Have Set Working Hours
Whether working hours are 9 to 5 p.m. or otherwise, it is very important to create a set schedule for working hours. If you work too many hours in a day, work life will take over your entire life. Then you won’t have any time for your spouse. This can severely weaken a marriage. Creating a schedule is very important. If you do have to work overtime, try to be sure to let your partner know beforehand. Even though this is not always possible, it gives the other person an idea of your schedule. It is respectful to your partner.
Offer to Help Out
Does your partner need something mailed at the post office or need something picked up from the store while you happen to be out taking care of your business’s needs? Offering to help where you can with their work needs can make it more likely they’ll offer to do the same for you. This is a win-win situation and can lighten the workload of each partner.
Take Mental Health Breaks
If your time spent working from home is on very mind-intense work, make sure you relax your mind from time to time by taking breaks for your mental health. Take some time to throw on some music, or run yourself a nice warm bath occasionally. Go for a walk with your spouse, or even take a short nap. Strengthening your own mental health can only help to strengthen your marriage.
Use Technology to Your Benefit
Are there certain apps that can help with each spouse’s productivity and that would allow them to spend more quality time together instead of working so much? There are certainly scheduling apps out there that may be of use. There are also work productivity apps that may benefit each partner. Don’t be scared to use technology to help strengthen your relationship.
Be Nice to Each Other
Can one of you cook lunch or dinner one day if you have a break from your work schedule? Then would the other partner be able to do the same task(s) the next day? How about getting coffee for one another? If you know your partner loves coffee and you happen to be out and about, it would be a nice gesture to buy your partner coffee. Don’t underestimate the small gestures and how they can improve your relationship.
Move?
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Find Solutions
Try to find a solution or solutions to any problems your spouse and you may be having in your home offices. Do not let problems get out of hand. If your partner starts complaining to you about something, see what you can do to help. For instance, if you both need to use a printer or copier in your living room, does one partner get irritated that the other partner doesn’t refill the paper tray? This is a simple situation that can be corrected immediately. There are little problems that can arise when you’re working at home that don’t have to become bigger issues.
According to FinancesOnline, 41% of first-time marriages end in divorce, and 57.5% of divorces are due to conflict within the marriage itself. That’s why it’s important that couples working from home are able to iron out their differences to peacefully do their jobs. All divorces are serious matters, and they’re not to be taken lightly by any means. Working at home as a couple can be a trying experience if you don’t take some basic measures to make sure your relationship is the top priority. The important thing to keep in mind is that you are each your own person. You are each running your own business from home or working from home. No two individuals are going to agree on everything, and no two jobs are alike. You have to understand that we each have our own individual needs, both as human beings and as workers. Respect is key when you’re dealing with a both-partners-work-from-home environment.
