5 Ways to Keep Relationships Strong During Tough Economic Times

How are you doing in your relationship during these
difficult economic times? It is normal to be concerned,
scared, and even terrified to lose your job, home,
retirement fund, etc. However, I imagine that you do not
want to also lose your partner.

Is your relationship suffering, or are you dealing with the
issues constructively? Working together during hard times
can actually strengthen your relationship, as it does any
successful business.

The following guidelines will help you maintain a healthy,
strong, partnership.

1. Avoid Blame. Pointing your finger at others or yourself
will only hurt everyone involved. Fear based anger and
guilt feelings increase your fears, create more problems,
and do not resolve anything.

Suggestion: Accept the situation. When you accept what
happened, you are calmer and you can begin to deal with the
issues constructively. Ask yourselves what you can learn
from the experience, so that you can prevent it from
happening again.

2. Avoid taking the situation personally. Lose of money
and things do not mean that you are not smart, good enough,
a good provider, household manager, etc.

Suggestion: Realize that the situation is outside of you,
and no matter what happens you are smart, good enough, a
good provider, etc.

3) Avoid becoming depressed or not dealing with it. Under
depression is anger, and, under anger, is fear, hurt, or
powerlessness.

Suggestion: Deal with your anger constructively by hitting
a pillow and saying what you are angry about. Then,
acknowledge your underlying feelings and focus on what you
can do to improve the situation to help you feel more
powerful.

4) Avoid dealing with the problems alone. You are likely
to feel resentment, if you feel you are carrying the burden
alone.

Suggestion: It is important for everyone involved to work
together on solutions. Uncover positive actions by writing
the problem as a question on a piece of paper and
brainstorm solutions. For example, the question could be,
?How can we create more money to have what we need and
desire??

5) Avoid worrying and focusing only on the problem. What
you focus on is what you will intensify in your life.

Suggestion: Focus on the positive solutions. Talk often
about what you are grateful for and how you can still have
fun and enjoy the simple, inexpensive things in life.

In summary, there are positive actions that can help you
keep your relationship strong during tough economic times.
Open to your creativity and you may be surprised at some of
your unique solutions. Remember the well known saying,
?Necessity is the cause of inventions.? If the children
are old enough, include them in the problem solving. They
can come up with some very unique ideas. What a gift it is
to teach them positive ways to deal with problems. Ask
others for help if you need it, and keep your trust and
faith that the situation will improve.


About the Author:

©2009 by Helene Rothschild, MS, MA, LMFT, Licensed
Marriage, Family Therapist, intuitive counselor, and author
of,"All You Need Is HART! Create Love, Joy and Abundance
~NOW!" She offers short term, transformational telephone
sessions, a relationship check-up report/questionnaire,
books, e-books, CDs, Mp3 audios, plus a free newsletter,
"Healing Your Body" Mp3 and "Truths Set You Free"
e-booklet. http://www.lovetopeace.com , 1-888-639-6390