Love in Quarantine: Lighten Your Partner's Load
Recently, Deborah wanted our help because she feels like she’s fighting more with her husband, James, since they’re spending all day every day together in this forced season of quarantine because of Covid-19.
It makes sense, doesn’t it?
We bet Deborah and James aren’t the only ones finding themselves feeling like they are fighting more.
All of us are learning how to operate in tighter quarters.
All of our routines are off, and anxiety and stress are forcing a lot of us to feel like we’re on the edge of what we can handle. And we can’t “escape” to the office, coffee shop, or friend’s house right now.
Whether we mean to or not, we can be guilty of taking out our frustrations on our partner.
A Simple Action to Take Right Now
This is what we told Deborah.
It’s not always easy to know what to do when you feel like you’ve reached the end of yourself, and you’re not sure you can hold your tongue.
We want to offer that one of the best things you can do is to chart a new course of action:
Lighten your partner’s load.
We know it sounds a little backwards, but trust us on this – If you do something for your partner that they usually do, then you’re communicating to them that you value them and that you care about them.
Truly, emptying the dishwasher, or folding a load of laundry, or making dinner is no small thing right now.
Because you are operating from a place of kindness, your attitude will make a turn toward the positive, and showing kindness to your partner will improve their attitude too.
Not only is a nice thing to do, but it will likely bring a bit of harmony and peace to the chaos of today’s quarantined world.
Deborah knew that James hated emptying the dish strainer of the dishes that needed to be hand-washed. So, in the mornings now, before James wakes up, Deborah empties the strainer as she’s waiting for the coffee to be ready.
It’s a small, simple action that has made all the difference for them.
Now, James wakes up knowing that his wife cares about him because she’s done something to lighten his load for the day. It has helped them to start their days on a positive note, and they find themselves fighting a lot less and enjoying each other more.
Maybe you can take a cue from Deborah and James.
How can you lighten your partner’s load today?
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