Stress can be the root of all relationship evil, if you let it. Stress can turn even the sweetest people into monsters and crumble the strongest spirits. It’s no wonder so many relationships fail during some of life’s most challenging times making partners, who once loved each other so much, want to claw each other’s eyes out. The challenge comes not in eradicating stress but instead finding love for each other even when you come to believe it no longer exists.

Love is not about sunshine and butterflies, rainbows and multi-coloured unicorns. So often, we mistake love for the happiness that comes with infatuation, the excitement that follows lust. Too often, we give up on something real when it becomes too hard and we throw in the towel just because our hearts don’t beat as quickly when we kiss their lips. We allow the stress of the world to conquer our souls and allow us to walk away from the real, believing we can find happiness in something else that doesn’t even exist.

Life will always be full of ups and downs, the goal is to find someone who will ride the rollercoaster with you, from the highest highs to the lowest lows, until the very end. Someone who won’t bail just because they are scared they got on the wrong ride. Someone who knows life’s stresses are temporary and that true love is worth the many emotions you feel throughout the ride.

Of course, it’s always helpful to try and live a less stressful life, for yourself and everyone around you, but it would be crazy to think that stress will never infiltrate your life and control your emotions at some point. Just don’t let it control your relationship too. Allow yourself to break, with the confidence that your partner will always put you back together. And pay attention to your feelings. When you get a better understanding of why your stress is affecting your relationship with your partner, you will have an easier time correcting it. And if it’s your partner who has suddenly done a 180, be patient. Let them know how it’s making you feel and discuss how their stress levels are adding unwarranted stress to your relationship. They might not even realize the hole they’ve fallen into and it’s up to both of you to pull each other out when the other falls in.

So, if you have found someone who you truly love, deep within your soul, know that you will have rocky times but ultimately, the good times will outnumber the bad. Love is more than the honeymoon phase; those superficial, surface elements that may fade. What you need to remember is that as the superficial parts fade the real parts of your relationship will shine brighter. The friendship, the connection, the understanding, and the trust are what will always overcome the stress induced fights and arguments. There will always be a reason for the stresses of life to wedge themselves in between great couples, but true love will always be strong enough to overcome the obstacles and prevent anything from coming in the middle.

Stress less, love more,
The Love Hawk