How to Get Through the Recession Together

This current recession can cause stress in marriages. If you and your spouse are not comfortable talking about money, this economic crunch could have dire consequences on your relationship. Kit Yarrow, a professor at Golden Gate University and contributor to abcnews.com, offers five practical tips on how to weather the recession together and still maintain a healthy marriage. First, adjust what you think being wealthy means. Expand upon your definition to include things that do not hold monetary value. Wealth would then also consist of your relationships, health, family, pets, etc. If you take a hit financially, remembering that you are rich in things other than money helps you to get through the situation.

Next, be able to alter and be flexible in your role as a spouse. For example, if your husband loses his job and he is considered the main provider for the family, then you may have to step up and become the provider for the family. Furthermore, your husband may have to adjust temporarily to becoming a stay at home dad and caring for the house and kids. Here the roles have changed, but both spouses should remember that their new roles are just as important as before in providing for their family.

Another tip is to make time to be together each week, whether it is for a budget meeting or maybe a date night. When you are stressed it is easy to withdraw from your spouse. Be there for one another, even if one of you is withdrawn, they are glad to know that they have your support. This time together will help you to reconnect each week.

The fourth tip is what Yarrow calls minding the gap. That is, the emotional gap that is created when you become stressed. You are so caught up in anxiety that you are emotionally drained and not able to be there emotionally if your spouse needs you. This causes a lot of hurt. Try to be aware of your spouse’s feelings so that you can be there if they need you. Lastly, don’t become overwhelmed by the situations you cannot control. Worrying only leads to problems in your marriage. Try to focus on doing what you can with what you have. Learn that it’s okay to ask for help if you need it, and be willing to help others. This will help to relieve some anxiety. Hopefully, these tips will help you and your spouse to ride out this economic slump.

Source: abcnews.com. Recession Proof your Relationship. Kit Yarrow.

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