Stress can impact your relationship in many ways:

1. If you bottle your stress up and keep it to yourself, your partner may not understand what you are going through and so not provide support.

2. You may get stuck in a negative cycle of reacting to each-others stress instead of talking properly about it

3. When we are stressed our bodies launch a hormone called cortisol, this can make us irritable, anxious and even paranoid, it can also interfere with communication, by making concentration and remembering difficult, this can lead to arguments and conflicts.

4. When stressed we have less patience with others

5. Stress can lead us to withdraw emotionally, creating a feeling of distance in a relationship and meaning we are not as present for our loved ones

Minimising the impact of stress on your relationship

1. Check in with each other and listen, before offering solutions

2. Ask each other what you can do to ease the others stress

3. Be more affectionate, having a cuddle can help you to reconnect and calm each other

4. Stay connected during periods of stress, talk about it and reach out to your partner

5. Self-care, looking after yourself, really helps you to be present and relaxed within your relationship, even if you have other stress impacting.

6. Be kind to each other