Ways to Discuss Work With Your Partner

Besides marriage and family, work is arguably the most prominent part of your adult life. 

Working 8 hours out of the 24 hours in a day points to this fact. Its prominence signifies that it should be discussed with your partner to get clarity and reduce stress.

If you are receptive to this idea, you will need to learn ways to discuss work with your partner.

One way of talking about work is by discussing the salary involved.

Hiding salaries are typical due to the need to keep your partner out of your financial affairs, but it's not healthy because it doesn't let you see the actual financial situation of your family.

Also, you can talk about work boundaries in the house. 

Ensure that you keep work away from home by setting time limits for work-related activities. 

You can even extend the activities to include any conversation about it. 

This is essential to remember your family outside of work.

Similarly, you should talk about your stressful periods at work so that you can expect when each other will be stressed and get ready to help them. 

Helping your partner during their stressful periods will ensure a stronger emotional bond in your marriage.

Here are various ways you can discuss work with your partner:

Talk About Salaries 

Salaries are the rewards for the work we put into our organizations, and they usually ensure the continued financial existence of a family.

Therefore, it's safe to assume that you should discuss salaries when you discuss work with your partner.

If you have always found it weird to discuss your salary, try to break such mental restrictions in your marriage. 

Both of you have come together to become one, and you should affirm the union by being comfortable sharing all things about yourself, including your salary.

Talking to each other about your salaries can help you build trust in each because of the personal nature of salaries. 

As honest partners, your relationship will be able to wax stronger in terms of love, trustworthiness, and emotional connection.

Also, discussing your salary with your partner may help you realize your worth, especially when you are being paid less than you should be getting. 

You may never know if your partner knows about the expected rate for your job role unless you tell them about it.

Talk About Work Boundaries 

Maintaining an outstanding work-life balance is essential for a loving relationship where the partners will spend quality time together without losing productivity at work. 

When you discuss work with your partner, be sure to talk about work boundaries at home so there is a precise work-life balance.

One method you can use to set work boundaries easily is to have a dedicated workspace. If you work in your company's physical location, this is covered. 

However, if you work at home, you may need such a workspace to make all work-related events happen there without spilling out.

You can equally have a dedicated schedule within which you perform all work-related tasks.

Ensure that you start rounding off on work minutes before your schedule lapses so you can completely stop working at the end of your dedicated time.

If you work from home, another interesting way to deal with work boundaries is to dress up when it's time for work. 

Since we are already used to dressing up before going to work, our bodies automatically put us in work mode when we wear clothes and put us in home mode when we remove the clothes. 

Thus, you should wear and remove clothes based on your work time.

Talk About Stressful Work Periods 

Notwithstanding how stressful work can be, there are still certain periods when work stress will skyrocket. 

Such periods may happen because of a festive ceremony or an urgent project. 

Whatever it is, be sure to mention it when you discuss work with your partner so they may give you help to go through the stressful periods.

It may also be them with the stressful work periods. 

Thus, make sure to listen to their stories too for an opportunity to relate with each and plan how to overcome the stress.

An excellent way to overcome stress is to practice great nutrition and exercise. 

When you engage in excellent nutrition, the different chemicals found in healthy foods will help keep your immune system strong, while the exercise will help boost your mood.

You can also overcome work stress together by talking to each other about it and sharing funny stories about the people at work. 

Trivializing the stressful issues can be helpful because all your troubles will seem small.

Talk About Schedules 

With the mass adoption of remote work across the globe, work can now be done at any time of the day, depending on the company's time. 

Hence, it's essential to compare your work schedules when you discuss work with your partner.

When you talk about your schedules and see that you have different schedules based on timezone or extra responsibilities at work, be sure to mandate quality time together in a week. 

Spending time together weekly will be great to keep the marital spark going.

Even if you can't actively stay with each other because you are rushing to go to work or because you have to travel, try to do something intimate in the little time you spend together.

It may be a kiss, hug, or rub; just do something to make your partner understand that you are on their mind.

You can also try to eat a meal together daily. It may be breakfast or dinner, but whatever time you pick doesn't matter. 

What matters is that you are spending some time with your partner, even if it's not as much time as you want.

Talk About Level of Support 

Support is an integral part of achieving our goals, and it can be a critical part of your conversation when you discuss work with your partner.

Be sure to say the amount of support you expect regarding your career and vice versa.

As a great supporter, understand that you should be a sounding board for your partner's ideas.

Being a sounding board is important because it will allow your partner to discuss ideas with you and efficiently eliminate the unsatisfactory ones.

You should also realize that the level of support will also extend to being their cheerleader. 

Whenever they achieve something in any career field or business, be sure to compliment them for their specific progress.

Besides the positive feelings, it's also essential to remember to give pep talks to your partner. 

Give them motivational words to help them understand life and get through the current situation.

Conclusion

Aside from the regular work stress, it may be tricky for you to discuss work with your partner if you are unsure of what to say. 

However, once you know what to talk about, it will become easy to talk about work with them.

The ways to talk about work with your partner include discussing salaries, work boundaries, stressful work periods, schedules, and the level of support from each spouse.

Resources 

https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/money/money-etiquette/how-to-talk-salary-with-coworkers

https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/maintain-boundaries-between-work-and-home-telecommute/

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-in-the-workplace.htm

https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/conversations-you-should-have-with-your-partner-about-work/amp

https://pairedlife.com/relationships/Different-Work-Schedules-and-Relationships