As the pandemic ebbs and flows across the United States many people continue to work from home. It was widely believed that once COVID-19 improved or became endemic that most people would return to work. However, many companies are deciding to allow workers to work from home permanently at least part of the week. This has greatly changed dynamics between couples as they are spending more time together and managing to interact in a space that doubles as work and home. Although everyone’s situation is unique, the following tips may help if working from home is causing distress in your relationship
Keep open and direct communication with your partner about your needs
Your needs can vary as to what is important to you from working from home. It could be things like having a quiet space free from distractions. If your partner is making too much noise or coming in to ask you questions during your workday, communicate that such behavior is detrimental to your workday. Hopefully, your partner values your job and will correct behavior to be more accommodating. Remember, without asking your partner will not know how they can make things better. It may be helpful to also discuss non-work tasks that need to be done around the house such as taking the dog for a walk or feeding a child. Try to work out a daily schedule that you both can follow so you are on the same page about what needs to be done.
Consider the use of space in your home
Back in 2020, it was a forced need to make part of our home a home office for many people. Now that this has been occurring for two years, some people have made adjustments to their homes while some still struggle to find the right balance between home and work. If both you and your partner work from home, consider the space constraints and where you can compromise. Factors to consider are the number of rooms in your home, especially if both you and your partner work in the same room of the house. If you work in the same office, consider how often one of you needs to make phone calls or video calls and then decide if the other person should leave the room then. If you both must be on calls most of the day, perhaps one of you can be in another part of the home most of the time.
Plan things that you can do together with the increased proximity to one another
It would be ideal if you could find something that you both can do together to take advantage of both of you working at home. The most obvious thing that comes to mind is lunch. Perhaps one of you can prepare the lunch and you can eat together, something that may have been impossible to do before the pandemic. Maybe one day you go out or bring in from your favorite restaurant to make the lunch more special than an average day. Perhaps there are other small things you can do together like taking a fifteen-minute break in the morning or afternoon and walking around your neighborhood to get fresh air.
The pandemic has caused many people to work from home. As the pandemic fades into the background with vaccines and decreased case counts, many people will continue to work from home indefinitely. If you and your partner have been struggling with how working from home affects your relationship, keep open communication, consider the use of space in your home, and plan activities you can do together throughout the workday. If you are still struggling, marriage counseling can help. Contact me today.