This may come as a surprise but the truth is that if you and your spouse are both working from home, your relationship is more likely to turn less exciting than when one of you were on a full-time job. I have been working full-time from my home since last 7 years and here's an account of what happened with me... Over the years of working from home, due to my lifestyle, the number of my friends has greatly reduced. And after arrival of my son, little time I used to get for socializing also had to be sacrificed as I have to devote some time after my work hours to him. All this made me an extreme introvert and my entire life revolved around my family. Recently my in-laws visited my place and they were with us for a week. During this week, my wife spent most of the time with her parents and gave little attention to me, which is natural. Even my son, who used to be extremely fond of me, was ignoring me and was having a great time with his grand-parents. Sometimes, he wasn't even noticing my presence. This was enough to foster a feeling of insecurity in me. And shortly after their departure, we had a big altercation that my wife's parents matter more to her than me. Did you realize why this happened? You must have heard of the proverb "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"? Well, it applies perfectly in this case. One of the biggest things you miss when both of you are working from home is the cheerful smile on the face of your spouse when you arrived from your job. In fact, over a period of time, the powerful urge of wanting to be together, that was present when one of you was on a job, may have diminished to a great extent. Why? Because you are bored of being together and want some change. One of the most basic wants of human beings is change. Have you closely observed how most of the things you have been wanting in life lost interest once you achieved it and your desire moved on to something else? The same way, when one of you was on a day job, you longed to be together. But once you got together, you got bored of seeing yourselves and being together! Isn't it funny? However, don't despair. There are some ways to bring back the fizz back into your life, if you have been working together from home since long time or to keep the excitement alive if you just made the transition. Here are some of them: Get a part-time job - Try getting a job that'll keep you out for 2-3 hours a day. It could be teaching kids or students, providing administrative services, or anything that you enjoy doing. Take hobby classes - If you have converted your existing hobby into a profession, you need to find a new hobby to keep the enthusiasm alive in your life. Hobby classes also provide an excellent opportunity to socialize and make new friends, which is very important in maintaining balance in relationships. Join a health club - Apart from the health benefits, health clubs, like hobby classes provide socializing benefits. Working from home can have adverse affect on your health because of the sedentary lifestyle. On a day job, you at least used to get some exercise while commuting. Now even that is missed. No matter what activity you choose, make sure it forces you to leave your home and be away from each other. Apart from keeping your relationship alive and exciting, pursuing an activity that makes you leave your home also rejuvenates your spirits, makes you more productive and arrests isolation which inevitably develops into those who work from home. |
