real life

Kristen Henry: "I love my job, but it's kind of killing my relationship."

When you’re trying to connect with someone and share your life, but your work schedules have you passing like ships in the night, things can get tricky.

I realised when I was on holidays that my household had been working on two different time zones. I love my job because, you know, I like to eat, but it was kinda killing my relationship.

I’m a breakfast radio host, so my alarm goes off at 4am.

Kristen Henry is one half of Kristen and Rod for Breakfast on MIX 106.3 Canberra. Image via Facebook.

My boyfriend hears about what’s happening in my life mostly when the rest of Canberra does — between 5:30am and 9. I eat at nursing home hours. I’m too exhausted at night to chat or sit through a movie. I’m in bed by 8.

Jesus, I want to break up with myself.

Fast forward to the holidays and we’re doing novelty things like having dinner together. Waking up together. Watching TV or even making it through a movie without me falling asleep on his shoulder.

It was paradise. Or as some call it, a normal functioning relationship.

Conversations expanded from, “I love you, can you grab some milk on your way home” to meaningful discussions that stretched into multiple sentences.

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Nurses, Doctors, anyone in hospitality and other shift workers are you feelin’ me? Can I get an amen?

With the help of Google and my girlfriends, I pressed go on the tips below. I’d like to call them: Tips for when you are crazy busy but you love your partner and never see them and fear you’ll soon have to wear name tags.

Working title. Hope it helps.

Date night.

We don’t have a stack of time together, but I wanted to make sure the time we did have was bloody awesome. Enter: date night.

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Every Friday night we clear the schedule (and I have a nanna nap so I stay awake past 8pm) and we seek out the hot new restaurant in town or see a show. It’s always something to look forward to.

LISTEN: Alain de Botton on how to love. Post continues after snippet...

Texts and calls during the day.

It's super simple and so obvious, but this simple gesture keeps things ticking along during the day. We keep it light, but it’s a nice way to remind each other that we’re thinking of them.

Planning a holiday.

A holiday is the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s that encouragement to deal with the situation as it is right now, because you know you’ll be sipping cocktails by the pool in Bali in only X weeks time.

Hard day at the office @whotels #seminyak

A photo posted by Kristen Henry (@_kristenhenry) on

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Lingerie kits are your friend.

Or whatever your game changer is - a good bottle of wine, porn, a weekend away. Buy it and surprise your partner.

This is about making the time you have together different, exciting and memorable. Whatever your ‘thing’ is that’s sure to spice things up, whip it out.

I understand the last sentence could be taken out of context. Still leaving it in. (Post continues after gallery.)

A common goal.

We’re working towards running in a fun run together. Feel free to choose something more exciting and less strenuous for your household, but it’s nice to be working towards something together.

Sharing how training is going, working solo on it through the week and together on the weekend makes you feel like even though you’re apart, you’re still a team.

Kristen Henry is one half of Kristen and Rod for Breakfast on MIX 106.3 Canberra. Hear more about her adventures at Kristenhenry.com.au.