Dating someone who is preoccupied with work might make you feel like you’re on the back burner at times. No matter if your guy is the most dedicated career man ever, feeling like a lesser priority is never ok. Making sure your relationship stays balanced is a job you both have to work to achieve. Here are some helpful pointers for striking that balance.
Don’t underestimate random acts of kindness. These go a long way for keeping any relationship burning. Bringing him a coffee or lunch to his office during will make you both feel great all day. Text him beforehand to make sure he’s around and can spare a second for a quick hi.
De-stress together. It’s important to make sure the time you spend together isn’t so crowded into your schedule that it becomes work in and of itself. When you do spend a solid chunk of time together, make sure it’s planned well in advance, is something you both can’t wait to do, and isn’t at all work related. Keep in mind that it’s not really about the amount of time spent together, but the quality of it.
Work together to come up with ground rules. It’s important that you each make your needs known. You’re totally within your rights to say no laptops in bed, no phone meetings after 8 PM, etc. it’s just a matter of deciding specifics. Having concrete boundaries gives you both an idea of what’s ok or not.
Respect his schedule, but know when to step in. Give him his due space like you expect him to give you, but never wait until you’re wanting his attention so much that you explode into a tantrum. Don’t let it get to that point. Know yourself and what you need.
Be realistic. Make sure that the standards you judge your relationship are your own, not anyone else’s. For example, just because your girlfriend can hang out all weekend with her man doesn’t mean you can, too. Every relationship has different circumstances. If you’re feeling bummed, ask yourself if its only because you have an idea in your head of what “perfect” should look like. Then ask if that’s really what you want.
