How To Keep Work Stress From Hurting Your Relationship

By: Sarah Divine

Have you ever been the target of someone else’s emotional outburst? It’s generally shocking and disorienting. You were going along with your day and suddenly you are dealing with an unexpected verbal assault. At the end of it all, you are frustrated, scared, and maybe even humiliated. What did you do to deserve that? 

Life as a firefighter often leads to very high-stress situations. You see people at one of the worst moments of their lives, and you see it every day. Horrific accidents. Families losing everything in a fire. Even people who died for no other reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You carry one of society’s heaviest burdens. It is a sacred duty but an enormous one. 

Stress is a natural byproduct of the firefighter’s life. 

Work stress has a negative effect on the people around you, if you let it. It can cause your nerves to be frayed, lower your libido or damage your internal organs if it is left unchecked. 

Learn how to vent

The first thing you need to do is find a healthy outlet for venting. Your significant other might be the best person for that, but they might not be in the right mental state to talk you through your frustrations with the job. Make sure you have someone you can talk to. It could be as easy as calling a friend or relative on the speaker phone as you drive home and say, “I’m frustrated and exhausted from a crazy day and needed to hear a friendly voice.”

Also, be sure to consider the many benefits of physical stress relief. Some firefighters make sure they have a transitional activity between work and home, such as running, the gym or just going for a walk somewhere with natural beauty like a park or the beach. Meditation is another great way to learn to control your mind, and with practice, you can do it for five minutes in the driveway before you come home and release all that stress so it doesn’t impact your family. 

Physical and emotional comfort

Finally, you should set up some time with your partner for physical and emotional comfort. What is better than to return home from a bad day at work to your favourite meal on the table and dessert in the bedroom? That intimate closeness takes your focus away from what is wrong and puts it on what is right — the relationship you share with your partner.

Sarah Divine’s true passion is in the field of the human body, sexuality and relationships. Sarah has over 5000 hours in hands on body work experience. She’s certified in deep tissue massage, has her master reiki certification, was a holistic health practitioner and is a Certified Erotic Blueprint coach.