Relationships can be a bit of a balancing act!

5. Compromise on both of your careers! Unless you're one of those rare couples where one person really wants to stay home and the other person wants to work, you'll both need to discuss honestly your career aspirations and how you can mutually achieve those goals as far as possible.

It may be the case that you never really discussed the fact that one of your careers might take-off, etc. But if you find yourself in the midst of one of these situations find the time to sit down and look at the following - what both of your expectations are in terms of time together, how you can meet both your expectations or compromise to meet them, how long this period of the excessive work may last, and what are the positive outcomes from this (e.g. will the person get a promotion that leads to greater job satisfaction or financial gain).

Next you can draw up a schedule in your diaries about what you may expect to happen in the coming months.

Ultimately both people can't have hugely demanding careers, with very little time off, and expect to have lots of leisure time together. Rationally this simply isn't possible. However most people let their expectations get in the way of rational thought.

6. Treat time together like its sacred - because it is! Nothing's more soul-destroying than, e.g., planning a romantic evening together only to have one of you cancel at the last minute because a work issue comes up. Schedule your time together as if it's as important as meetings because quite frankly it's more important!

7. Understand where over-achievement issues and workaholism comes from! People throw themselves into excessive work for various reasons. If one of you starts to do this, you two must address the underlying emotional reasons. These can range from, e.g., trying to avoid an issue at home to fear of financial failure.

Work-life balance has the potential to break a couple up. If at the end of the day your partner isn't important enough to spend quality time with, and find balance with, you have to question the basis of your relationship.

Using tips, tricks and techniques like these mean you both end up winners in your relationship. It's far more important for both of you to feel valued and listened to. That you both outwardly demonstrate you plan to make time to care for and listen to the other.

Ultimately relationships are balancing acts that tip slightly in one direction or another. But preventing things from going too far one way or another can strengthen yours.

Dr Pam Spurr is author of 'SEX, GUYS & CHOCOLATE - Your Essential Guide to Lust, Love and Life' (Anova Books). Buy it here

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