Hi Tasha, it’s great that you acknowledge that you and your partner have different feelings, you also have different strengths. Often in counselling sessions I hear that when one partner is feeling down, the other is able to support them and vice versa. When you are feeling ok, can you sit down and have a discussion about what works for you when you are feeling low so your partner knows what to do and doesn’t feel they are guessing all the time?
Planning ahead for emotional moments can feel exhausting as we try to think of a response for every single situation that could arise. Have a think about what works for you when you hear an announcement, do you want to take time out and walk away? do you want a hug? Processing announcements takes time, especially when they are a surprise. Being around small children for some feels ok, usually around Christmas time there is more interaction with children than the rest of the year, if you don’t feel up to spending too much time around them, have some standard answers you can use to remove yourself from the situation, things like ‘I can’t stay long’ if you are feeling upset.