Change

Major life changes will alter your relationship in ways you've never quite anticipated before. A new job, moving away, getting married, having children, taking care of elderly relatives, retiring, significant financial shifts, health problems, job loss - or even starting a whole new phase of your life - really affect your daily routines, your priorities, your moods, and even who we think we are all at once. What makes these times particularly tough is that the transition doesn't usually just affect one person. Even if it seems like one partner is right in the midst of the main change, the other person is usually adjusting right along with them. I've learned that's where relationships can either get much more strained - or incredibly stronger. The difference really comes down to how well both folks communicate, offer support to each other, and modify their expectations while life keeps changing all around them.

I also came to realize that support doesn't necessarily mean having all the perfect answers or keeping all difficult emotions at bay. Sometimes the most valuable support is just being there, truly listening closely, and reminding each other that your relationship continues to be a very safe space during moments of uncertainty. Major transitions really bring out fears, excitement, sadness, stress, and hope all at the same time - and those feelings don't always arrive perfectly organized. I believe couples actually do best when they let go of trying to manage change so smoothly themselves and instead concentrate on adjusting together. In this article, I'd like to delve into some practical techniques for supporting each other during major life transitions while holding onto trust, your emotional bond, and the feeling that both people are still very much on the same side.