Do you spend more time in bed with your laptop, answering Slack messages, than you do with your partner? Then it may be time for a reality check. When our romantic relationships carry too much of the burden of our professional life, it can lead to resentment, jealousy, and, ultimately, a breakup—especially when we expect our partners to carry an unfair share of our work stress. “We bring a set of expectations that our intimate partners are a source of emotional support, and that we can be our most authentic versions of ourselves,” Alexandra Solomon , a Chicago-based psychologist and host of the podcast Reimagining Love , tells Fortune .
And while it’s a “blessing” when find that, she adds, “It comes back to bite us when we’re not mindful of the impact that our burnout has on how we’re showing up for them.” It’s a widespread problem: In Deloitte’s Workplace Burnout Survey , for example, 83% of respondents said burnout from work can negatively impact their personal relationships. Similarly, in Headspace’s 2024 Workforce State of Mind report , 71% of employees shared that work stress has caused a personal relationship to end.
A big part of the problem, Solomon says, is that the boundary between work and home life, especially with remote and hybrid work structures, can be difficult to draw. That’s why it’s important to set time and energy aside for each facet of our lives, including time to connect with our partners––outside of discussing work pr.
