With the Euro 2012 tournament in full swing, football fever is about to dominate our summer, TV screens and if your partner is soccer mad - it may take over your relationship too.
The ‘beautiful game’ has kicked off and millions of football fanatics fans are already filled with competitive fervour - and quite likely arguing with their other half.
According to a recent study by Samsung, tension over penalty shoot-outs and goalkeeping errors aren’t the only things that’ll mount up over the football season, as 20% of Brits admit to experiencing ‘relationship issues’ during the tournament.
The biggest bugbear is from partners who constantly talk and ask questions throughout the match. However, the cardinal sin as discovered in the study - is revealing the score before their partner has had a chance to watch the match.
Although (among anti-football fans) the stress over goal scoring isn’t considered a huge deal - for avid fanatics, match-related tension could potentially lead to deeper psychological issues, such as anxiety and depression.
So much so, that leading bookmaker, Blue Square, has teamed up with psychologist Dr David Lewis, to ensure football fans have psychological support during the ups and downs of the games, via the Blue Square Twitter feed.
“Euro 2012 can be a real roller coaster of emotions with extreme highs and lows in a short space of time,” Dr Lewis told HuffPost Lifestyle.
“I will provide practical advice on dealing with eventualities ranging from the dreaded penalties to a game-changing sending off.”
But how can you help a football-mad partner? Scroll down to find out
“First of all, you’ll need to recognise what kind of relationship you have with your partner,” explains Dr. Lewis.
“If you can distinguish whether you’re in an adult/adult partnership or adult/child relationship, you’ll be able to fully understand how to deal with their moods and football-related tantrums.”
Dr Lewis explains that if you’re in an adult/adult relationship (where both partners communicate and respect each other on an equal footing), suggest a brisk walk or jog to help dissipate adrenalin and pent-up stress.
If you’re in an adult/child relationship (where one partner acts a lot younger than their age), take another approach by using subtle relaxation techniques to avoid confrontation.
“A lot of men behave like children when it comes to football, but the most important thing is to recognise how powerful emotions can be and to remind your partner that they need to stay in ‘the zone’.
“By this, I mean, follow the sports stars’ example by keeping your eye on the ball, not getting too wrapped up in the emotional ride and perform at your peak, making sure you don’t over-do it.”
HuffPost Lifestyle asked Dr David Lewis, who is also founder of independent research consultancy, Mindlab International, for his tops tips on how to de-stress your relationship during Euro 2012.