To better understand the authors of these tweets, we contacted Becca & Dan, an NYC-based couple who work remotely and run the blog Halfhalftravel. After having traveled the world working from their laptops, now they are sharing plenty of useful remote work tips and tricks and have extensively covered what they believe are The Best Ways to Work From Home With Your Partner.
"Some of the biggest challenges couples face when working from home are being each other's roommate, coworking buddy and romantic partner, all at the same time," Becca & Dan told Bored Panda. "Were couples supposed to have all these obligations to each other? The main challenge is fulfilling all these roles in a relationship and adding in the professional aspect of overhearing each other's meetings and being near or in each other's working environments constantly."
Some of the practical advice that Becca & Dan provide in their article for couples who want to preserve their bond while working from home include deciding on the most ideal time to wake up, talking about the morning work-from-home routine, choosing to take breaks together, for a stretch or a walk, and speaking of sounds, and getting noise-canceling headphones.
"To avoid the relationship getting hostile (if it got hostile!), set boundaries. Communicate," they highlighted. "Set hours for the usage of different areas of the home office(s) and give solid reasoning as to why one person needs something and the other should take a turn afterward. But also, have fun! Eat meals together, plan break times, start the day together with coffee, and communicate about when work should end for the day."
As Mara Olekalns and Jessica A. Kennedy wrote in Harvard Business Review, it's important to remember that conflicts around the roles that Becca & Dan previously mentioned are amplified; tensions between work and family roles escalate in the absence of clear physical demarcation between work and home.
"In close relationships such as domestic partnerships, we tend to place greater emphasis on protecting our relationship than on getting our needs met," Olekalns and Kennedy explained. "We then avoid issues that should be tackled directly, or we capitulate before reaching optimal agreements. The cost of the subsequent lopsided outcome can be resentment that further fuels conflict."
So don't avoid the issues. Address small frustrations and annoyances as soon as they occur. Problems that are ignored grow and emotions that are suppressed intensify.
"If your partner's loud typing disrupts your work, talk about it before you break the keyboard," Olekalns and Kennedy said. "Individuals who treat adversities large and small as transformational opportunities are happier and healthier, and couples who reframe these moments as opportunities to share and better understand each other’s needs emerge with stronger relationships."
As with many things in a relationship, being able to talk through your issues and finding ways to adjust together is key!
