MORE: 2-Minute Stress Solutions Any of this sound familiar? Hopefully you and your spouse are more likely to make each other laugh than to tune each other out when stressed. (Humor is a proven relationship mender and stress-reliever.) But if you’re all too familiar with the old “he’s crabby and quiet, so I will be too” routine, this new study suggests that your relationship is headed for trouble. So what’s the best way to handle stress at home? Tackle it together, the study authors advise. Citing past research on “collaborative coping,” the authors say talking through stress with your partner and solving problems jointly is a great way to manage stress. Take a supportive “we” approach, they recommend. Doing this means resisting the temptation to withdraw from each other and into your own interior worlds of angry thoughts and quiet seething.MORE: How A Bad Day Can Ruin A Good Relationship
