Managing Stress Together
Stress rarely affects us alone. Especially in relationships, it influences intimacy, understanding, and connection. Guy Bodenmann (2016) describes dyadic coping as the ability of couples to experience burdens not as an individual struggle, but to recognize them as a shared issue and actively manage them together.
What exactly does that mean? Sometimes we think we are supporting the other person, but we are doing the exact opposite of what is needed. Perhaps a listening ear would be more helpful than joint brainstorming, or simply affection could be the solution.
The goal is to jointly develop an attitude characterized by:
- mutual support
- solution-oriented thinking
- understanding and acceptance
- and active resource utilization.
In Bevor der Stress uns scheidet, Guy Bodenmann (2016) shows that couples who master stress together build more trust and emotional intimacy. It’s about understanding:
- What is stressing me right now?
- What feelings does that trigger?
- What do I really need right now?
These questions open doors for openness, understanding, and intimacy – transforming burdens into a shared path of development.
In my counseling, we explore:
- What small actions offer support
- What each person experiences as support
- How stress communication works
- What joint stress management looks like in everyday life