Welcome to Edit Your Life, a podcast to help you edit the unnecessary from your life so you have more room to enjoy the awesome.

Through episodes with me, Christine Coe, and a range of smart, compassionate guests, you will come away with insights and tactics to help you find the agency in space to simplify and

declutter your home, time, mental space, and more.

Hello, friends, this topic is on my mind because I know so many people are struggling right now.

And I know personally that when I'm stressed, all kinds of things suffer, especially how I communicate.

This shows up at home akin to the way kids will have a great day at school, then meltdown,

when they get to the safety of home. The reality is, our closest relationships often get the brunt

of things. Outside of my home, when I'm stressed, I find that sometimes I withdraw

from my relationships when connection with other humans is the medicine that you need. Also, when

you're in a tough season, the small things you can do that aren't about you can be such a relief

and joy. I can't imagine I'm alone in these feelings. This conversation with Asha originally broadcast June 2019 and has been in the locked archive since I made the transition to the Adelis podcast network.

Many of the anecdotes Asha and I talk about are partner-oriented, but the recommendations are evergreen,

and all but one could relate to our relationships

outside of the home. I'm going to do things a little different today. I'll share Asha and my

seven tips, and then I'll follow with five additional recommendations from my vantage point

recording this five years after the original broadcast. Let's get right to it.

Okay, Asha. So I am going to get started with something really simple. Are you ready? I'm so ready for this. Okay. So really, this is so simple. And part of the

reason I wanted to start with something simple is just I know how overwhelmed people can be when their

relationship is under stress. And my recommendation is to ask how your partner is doing. And then also

listen to the answer. And I know when I am under a lot of stress, my brain is literally

consumed by my to-do list. And I think I kind of cringe to say this, but I think it can make the people in my life feel

rather unseen.

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