There is nothing like a job search to test your relationships and marriage. Growing together is one of life’s challenges when any significant event occurs.
There appears to be more stress-related illness and stress-related reaction to change in today’s economy. If you are looking for a job — or feel as though you may encounter a job change in the near future — it helps to keep in mind the ways communication plays a crucial role in reducing stress.
Learning how to communicate in a way that encourages an exchange of ideas or solutions will benefit you now and in the future.
To get a better understanding of how important it is to communicate well with your spouse, significant other and family during your job search, Mike Runcie, a licensed marriage and family therapist, shared some helpful tips on how to direct your communication when facing a job transition.
• To get through tough transitions successfully, it helps to have a bigger purpose in mind. While a job search can be uncomfortable and unsettling, it helps to keep focused on the outcome, such as the opportunity to apply your skills in a different way or add to your skill sets. Reminding each other of the outcome instead of focusing on the disruption is helpful.
• Be intentional about keeping others informed of your job-search activities. You also must be intentional about forming a partnership in your marriage. Both partners must be intentional about keeping each other informed about their experience — job loss is not one-sided. Be intentional about spending time as a family doing simple, inexpensive activities, e.g. having a game night.
• Practice centering by relying on a good support system or your faith.
•Realize that some things take time. The desire to hurry the transition can bring additional stress to your job search. Transitioning to a level of comfort takes time, so slow down.
•Regular exercise is vital. Not only will you get some much-needed exercise, but it provides an opportunity to share the big picture, express feelings and discuss possibilities.
• Develop a daily routine. This can help you and your family make the adjustment.
•Reaching out to others who have gone through major transitions can be a good resource for encouragement. Establishing a healthy support system is necessary.
• Letting go of our past offers opportunities for the future. Reminiscing with a view to the future can help.
• Be intentional about when to talk about the challenges your unemployment presents. A good exercise is to select a time to address one of the issues that need attention and put a time limit on the conversation. Most people run out of energy trying to develop solutions after 30 minutes.
