Magazine: Burnout syndrome and relationships

Basically there are two kinds of relationships: one that lifts you and another that pushes you down. Many people suffering from burnout syndrome neglect their relationships. The big question is: What is in the focal point of our relationships, difficulties or solutions? Recently I have met a friend of mine who lost his wife. He is in his 50s and he is about to marry a new partner. I asked what she is like and he said they used to go out when they were children. They get on well but the woman is frustrated because of her alcoholic husband and life in general, and this frustration is often passed on to my friend. My advice to him was: Ask her questions about positive things! The strategy worked and two weeks passed. My friend and his relationships started to change because he started using my techniques of positive communication with friends too. Oddly enough, in some cases people found this change in him weird and retreated from him. He decided to stop seeing them because he had realised the enormous strength that lies in positive relationships and positive communication – he doesn’t let others push him down with negativity any more. What do you do with your negative relationships that push you down? Do you fight to improve the situation or do you try to escape? As a coach I keep asking myself questions and these are my favourites: 1.What am I feeling at this moment? 2.What am I thinking at this moment? 3.What am I doing at this moment? 4. What do I want for myself at the next moment? 5. How do my relationships contribute to my answering the above questions?