Starting Conversations for Healthy Relationships: Tip 1

Developed by HRI Program Coordinator, Camila Dos Santos, M.Ed.

Open and transparent communication is crucial to having a healthy relationship, but for many of us, it takes both practice and intentionality to create a trusting space where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, feelings, and fears without judgment.  

Through HRI, we have developed a number of resources to help aid communication in relationships of all kinds.  In this week’s series, we will focus on our conversation starters, or questions, that are designed to help you connect, reflect, and communicate about the things that are important to you and your partner. In fact, many of the conversation starters we share can also prove useful for other types of relationships as well. 

Our challenge for you this week is to pick a couple of the conversation starters we share and spend at least 10 minutes discussing with your partner or loved one. A couple of important tips before you start the conversation:

  • Set aside time so that your conversation does not feel rushed.
  • Have your conversation in private places that you both feel comfortable in. 
  • Commit to active listening – instead of thinking about what you are going to say next while your partner is speaking, make it a point to intentionally listen to what they say, and to pause before responding. 
  • Be open to disagreements. Healthy relationships are not without conflict! Rather, healthy relationships handle conflict together through communication and listening. 
  • As much as this conversation will teach you a lot about your partner, remember that it can teach you about yourself too, and to use what you learn to self-reflect on your role in the relationship. 
  • Commit to kindness and respect with your partner – not only in this conversation, but in all!

Even if it feels strange at first, you may be surprised to learn something new about yourself or your partner! You also may find that you feel more connected and in tune with each other after this activity! 

Adapted from HRI Toolkit for Couples: https://www.guilfordhri.org/community-resources/toolkits/couples/ 

 

Setting & Keeping Remote Work Boundaries: Tip 5

Developed by HRI Program Coordinator, Camila Dos Santos, M.Ed. 

It’s no secret that boundaries between work and life are blended in a pandemic world. Our days off are perhaps more important now than they ever were before.

When we don’t take our days off seriously, we can find ourselves allowing busyness as a distraction from our own needs. Eventually, emotion overload and extreme stress can occur and impact several aspects of life.

Recovery is important, so be sure to take your days off and do something to re-energize your body and mind! It can benefit many parts of your life in positive ways!

Some ideas include going on a short road trip with a loved one or taking an exercise class. Reading a book, going for a walk, or connecting with a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while are other ways to feel as if your day off is truly a day off.

How will you take your next day off seriously?

9.23.20 | 12-1 PM | Navigating Difficult Times Together

*New Date: September 23* | 12-1 pm EST: Navigating Difficult Times Together

Tough times are a normal part of any couple’s relationship, but how do you navigate them and keep your relationship strong?

Join us for this workshop on Wednesday, September 23rd and learn practical strategies that you can use to work through life’s challenges and strengthen your relationship throughout the process.

Attend with your partner or on your own, but don’t miss this learning opportunity!

Click here to register for this free program! 

Setting & Keeping Remote Work Boundaries: Tip 4

Developed by HRI Program Coordinator, Camila Dos Santos, M.Ed.

Your partner or roommate can be a great source of support in keeping boundaries around work.  When you both are aware of each other’s goals around work boundaries, you can work together to make sure you’re accomplishing those goals. For example, if you would like to end the workday at a particular time each day, they can give you gentle reminders as that time comes near each day. 

Clear and consistent communication about boundaries and expectations are crucial for this team approach to work without adding stress to the relationship, however. Check out this HRI Toolkit for Couples for tips on communicating effectively: https://www.guilfordhri.org/community-resources/toolkits/couples/. 

8.19.20 | Healthy Work Relationships in a Remote World

August 19, 2020: 10:00-11:00 AM:

 

The Healthy Relationships Initiative is excited to partner once again with Healthy UNCG to provide a free webinar on healthy work relationships in a remote world.  This program will be presented by Camila Dos Santos, HRI Program Coordinator, and will provide strategies to help foster and maintain healthy relationships when most of us are working from home.

Click here to register for this webinar! 

 

 

HRI E-Book: Essential Parenting Skills

Introducing our newest E-Book: Essential Parenting Skills

Our newest E-Book is hot off the press! This E-Book provides parents with children of all ages with strategies and insights into being an engaged parent. Designed by Bringing Out the Best at UNC Greensboro with resources developed by HRI, this resource is a great tool for new and experienced parents alike!

Click here to download the free PDF of the HRI E-Book: Essential Parenting Skills!

 

Setting & Keeping Remote Work Boundaries: Tip 3

Developed by HRI Program Coordinator, Camila Dos Santos, M.Ed.

When it comes to setting boundaries around work, we often think of technology as an obstacle, but in fact – technology can be a handy tool in setting and keeping boundaries around work. 

One example of using technology to help keep boundaries around work is to utilize calendars, timers, and alert systems to help you stay on track with your time.  In order for this strategy to work, it’s important to schedule both professional and personal tasks on your calendar in order to keep anything from getting overlooked. Don’t forget to also schedule time for mindfulness, relaxation, and doing nothing! If you don’t schedule, you are less likely to do it.

Setting & Keeping Remote Work Boundaries: Tip 1

Developed by HRI Program Coordinator, Camila Dos Santos, M.Ed.

Setting boundaries around work is crucial when many of us are working from home indefinitely. This week, we will provide you with different tips to help set and keep boundaries around remote work. 

The first tip in the series is to adopt rituals. Rituals help us find balance between different priorities. For example, starting and ending the workday with a short walk around the block allows you to use that time to decompress and plan ahead for the day. Taking 5 minutes each hour to stretch and breathe deeply can help to re-center and re-energize your mind. For some, getting dressed in work clothes each day helps to stay motivated when working from home. What is most important about your ritual or rituals is that they work for you! 

While we will continue to share tips to find the balance with remote work, you may also check out our free webinar on Setting Boundaries When Working From Home here.