Stress: Everyone takes out their stress on their significant other or spouse — it’s just part of being in a long-term relationship. That, in turn, leads to arguments. But make an effort to minimize projecting your stress onto your partner or relationship, because doing it too often can be damaging and blow up into dramatic fights that aren’t healthy. “Bad stress is worry and frustration over things that can’t be helped. Learn to support each other in getting over the bad stress,” suggests Tessina.
Bottom line: If you keep your fights on the level of discussions about your disagreements rather than letting them escalate, they’ll be the healthy kind that lead to resolving problems. “[Full-blown] fighting doesn’t help anything,” says Tessina. “Instead, learn to talk about your differences.”
