Inspired by Dr. Gregory L. Jantz’s “How to De-Stress Your Life” | A CoupleStrong Blog

In today’s fast-paced, pressure-packed world, chronic stress can feel like the norm. But when stress becomes your default setting, it doesn’t just wear down your body—it erodes the connection between you and your partner. Based on Dr. Gregory L. Jantz’s How to De-Stress Your Life, we at CoupleStrong want to invite you to consider this powerful truth: you can’t build a peaceful relationship on an anxious foundation.

Stress Is Not Just Personal—It’s Relational

Jantz outlines how stress manifests physically, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically. What many couples don’t realize is that unmanaged stress can leak into the relationship, shaping how partners communicate, show affection, handle conflict, and make decisions.

Some common signs stress is affecting your relationship:

• You’re short-tempered with your partner over small things.
• Intimacy feels like a chore rather than a connection.
• Conversations feel transactional or emotionally distant.
• You both feel more like teammates managing logistics than lovers sharing life

When one or both partners are living in survival mode, the relationship becomes reactive instead of responsive, defensive instead of safe.

The Cost of a Cluttered Life

One of Jantz’s core principles is that de-stressing begins with simplifying. Couples often overextend themselves with packed schedules, screens that never sleep, and too many yeses that crowd out connection. The antidote is not just rest—it’s intentional living.

Ask yourselves as a couple:

• What do we need to say “no” to in order to say “yes” to each other?
• Where are we hustling for worth rather than honoring our limits?
• Are we making time for quiet, reflection, laughter, and rest together?

These aren’t indulgent questions. They’re vital ones. Because without margin, there’s no room for intimacy. And without intentional rest, there’s no space for repair or joy.

De-Stress Together, Not Alone

Jantz emphasizes a whole-person approach to stress management—addressing the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. At CoupleStrong, we believe this healing becomes even more powerful when done in partnership. Here are some relationship-centered ways to de-stress together:

• Create a nightly “no tech” zone—20 minutes of face-to-face, no distractions.
• Practice breathing exercises or a short mindfulness session as a couple.
• Take a walk together after dinner without talking about work or kids—just life, nature, dreams.
• Name the stress instead of burying it. Share where you feel overwhelmed without expecting a solution—just presence.
• Set a shared rhythm of Sabbath—a time weekly where you rest, unplug, and delight in each other and life.

You Deserve a Life You Don’t Need to Escape From

Ultimately, How to De-Stress Your Life reminds us that a life of chronic stress is not normal, sustainable, or necessary. And for couples, it’s a call to build a different rhythm—one grounded in peace, not pressure.

At CoupleStrong, we want you to thrive not just individually, but as a team. So if life has felt chaotic, if connection has felt scarce, take this as your invitation to slow down. Turn toward. Breathe. Begin again.

Because when stress exits the driver’s seat, love finally has room to lead.

 

Want tools to create more calm in your relationship?

Explore our Couples Challenges, join our Couples Notes for daily guidance, and browse our video and handout libraries for practical help to reconnect—on purpose.

#CoupleStrong #StressLessLoveMore #IntentionalLiving #RelationshipHealth