When we are
under stress about our finances, we tend to take it out on the people closest
to us: our partner, spouse, friends, siblings or even co-workers can get the
not-so-bright side of our personality when we feel we are under pressure. While
we are under pressure because of our finances and trying to reduce our living expenses,
we don’t want to lose or hurt the people closest to us in the process. Terez
Williamson, a relationship blogger, wrote an e-book about saving your
relationship by living a simpler live. We might think that downscaling can put
extra pressure on interpersonal relationships, but Williamson sees it as an
opportunity and stepping stone to better relationships.
He focuses
on romantic relationships and especially those that have lost their romance
because of the pressures of our modern lives. People ask where the passion in
their relationship went. The simple answer would be that we don’t prioritize
the other person or our relationships enough and that work, financial troubles,
kids, and the other million things we need to see to take centre stage and we
move our partner to the outskirts of our lives, taking them for granted.
Williamson says that then you risk the inevitable: living together like
siblings, so used to each other and probably always quarrelling.
As we
discussed in the previous posts on freeing yourself from debt and living a
simpler life, there are numerous benefits to living with less. The main one
would be focussing on the important things in life as opposed to being consumed
by everything going on in and around us. Why would it be any different for your
relationship? The first thing people might worry about is that their partner
will not respond well to their new way of living. In reality, as soon as they
see the benefits: paying of your debts, less to clean and maintain, more time
for each other and less stress, they will thank you for selling and donating
all the things you did not need.
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| Put up this picture to inspire you to make time for what is important in your life |
These
“things” that drive a rift between people can also be technology and therefore
a digital diet is another big step to having a simpler life with more time for
each other. When we spend every free moment in front of the TV, the computer or
on our cell phones, we lose sight of what is real and truly important in life:
our loved ones. Williamson says
switching off your phone when you are eating out with your partner is the first
step to saving your relationship from being like siblings.
It’s not
just entertainment that we can make simpler and more real, but our whole
lifestyle. When all of our time and energy is directed towards making more
money and sustaining a high cost of living, we have nothing left for enjoying the
relationships that we have.
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