Stay home. Stay connected.

How to maintain personal relationship and personal space.

All together. All the time.

When a health crisis keeps you at home, being together with your partner around the clock can be a source of stress as well as comfort.

Working from home may not be unusual for some. But now many of us have partners working from home, and children being home schooled as well. Most of us are not used to spending all day in the same space with our partner and it is expected that this takes some getting used to.

Your Stay at Home Survival Guide:

Talk it out
Start by anticipating difficulties and talk them through before you begin to get on each other’s nerves. It’s much easier to work as a team when you are both calmly seeking solutions together

Create space
It is likely that at least one of you will need some space. Consider exercising outdoors separately. This may be good news for your dog who will get double the walks

Acknowledge anger
If tension does arise, try and refrain from being reactive and simply remove yourself from the situation. Wait to discuss what happened, calmly and without criticism, later.

Recap daily
Set aside time each day to talk about what is working and what isn’t. Avoid accusations, try to see the humor in it, be kind and express gratitude. More than ever, we can all be grateful for our health.

Make time for intimacy
Assuming that neither of you is ill and completely self-isolating, try and make time for fun and intimacy.

These self-care tips are brought to you by Sue Lennon, a respected nurse, therapist, educator, and coach with nearly three decades of experience in Oncology Nursing, including urology and stoma care. She has a passion for nurse-patient communication and understanding the 'lived experience of illness' in order to provide truly holistic care and is a frequent speaker at international workshops and conferences.