Having a full-on working life can be a big enough challenge and balancing it with nurturing your relationship can be pretty tricky. If you are both juggling long hours as part of your demanding roles, it can be hard to have enough quality time to dedicate to each other. And no, sitting side-by-side on the sofa frantically answering out-of-hours work emails doesn’t count as quality time!
These days it is increasingly difficult to totally separate your working life and personal time because it’s so easy to be connected to colleagues and clients. You may have your work email on your phone, and your WhatsApp pinging away with notifications from the office chat group. For many of us a profession is so much more than just paying the bills, so you actively want to stay connected and get ahead in a role that fulfils you. Our digital lifestyles can make you feel the need to be responding to messages during the evenings and weekends, which can eat into the time you get to spend with your significant other. This can build resentment if one of you is constantly bringing work home and distracted when you do attempt to unwind at the end of a long day. It can help when there is a situation at work that demands your attention you let your partner know that you need to turn your attention to work matters, so they don’t end up feeling ignored.
Fitting dating into your already busy schedule can be just as challenging as well. It can be easy to let the months melt away wanting to meet a new partner but not doing anything about it because work has taken priority. It’s all about finding time in your busy week to dedicate to searching for a partner, which takes self-discipline to block time out from checking emails, answering the phone, and switching off from work matters.
All is not lost though, as there are some simple techniques to allow you to carve time out to prioritise the joy of finding exciting people to date and making a relationship work even when your career demands a lot of your time and energy.
Make the most of lunchtime dates
It’s worth considering the slots of time you do have free during the week. Lunch hours, or even the time before work, can be the perfect opportunity to fit in some dates while you are feeling energetic, without eating into your evenings. Long working days can mean you don’t feel up to committing to lots of dates after work, but daytime meetups can solve the problem of feeling too tired to date. If you are in a long-term relationship, use breaks during the day to get in touch with your partner, or even meet up to share a short-but-sweet lunch break. Just a quick text or sharing a funny article you’ve read shows them you are thinking about them.
Prioritise time for each other
No matter how tired you both areat the end of the day it’s important to check in with each other, finding out about each other’s day has gone. It is important to support each other and show interest in your respective roles. Try and make each other laugh and find joy in the special everyday moments you share. Time off together is so precious that it’s important to really be in the moment. Try turning your phone off after a certain time or delay replying to texts to ensure you are really paying attention to each other. If you are dating, it’s about really being there and not getting distracted by your phone, which can come across as rude. Being skilled at listening is another great technique to use when you are on a date because it can really help somebody feel valued if you are properly listening to what they are saying. Nobody likes it when you are being interrupted by another text or you are distracted by a conundrum you are dealing with back in the office.
Think about your shared goals in a relationship
Having goals and dreams you both want to achieve can help you both feel like you are working towards something together. Creating a bucket list can give you something to look forward to, and it helps to have something in the diary when life it so hectic it feels like you barely see each other. Scheduling breaks is important for your career as well, as nobody is at the top of their game when they are burned out. It’s a win-win to have some weekend trips and holidays planned with your partner – where apps you use for work and professional emails are left firmly untouched.
Streamline your life
Sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day, and you need to consider what help you can access to make your week less hectic. It might be something as simple as ordering a recipe box, so you have dinner sorted for a few nights of the week. Perhaps getting a cleaner would lighten you load or paying a gardener to mow the lawn. Don’t be afraid to ask each other for help if you are living together and getting overwhelmed with balancing the chores you usually take on at home, as communication is key to avoiding resentment building that one of you is getting snowed under in all aspects of life.
Have you decided now is the right time to concentrate on your search for love? Then turn to the experts at Ignite Dating for help finding the person of your dreams! We are experts in understanding what you want in a relationship, and we’ll introduce you to people you’ll really connect with. Working with a matchmaker leaves you free to enjoy a stress-free and easy search for love, leaving all the hard work to the experts.
