New Orleans versus Chicago. Indianapolis versus New England. And then it's Super Sunday. If you still don’t know what we’re talking about, the football news you're excited about is probably David Beckham coming to the Los Angeles Galaxy. For the rest of us, football season is about to reach its apex, and for some couples it can be a stressful time of year. That’s because the playoffs and the Super Bowl can bring a zombie-like effect on football fans, where they must migrate in mass to the nearest high-def big-screen to feast their eyes on gridiron greats, ignoring all spousal duties and responsibilities until after the 4th of February (that’s Super Bowl Sunday for you non-football fans).

There are ways to avoid bashing helmets during this time of year and as Obi-wan once said, "There are alternatives to fighting." You can’t take the football away from the fan so work with them instead. Trade a big game day for future chores or have household duties tackled during the week. Since next Sunday sees both AFC and NFC championship games played on Sunday, target Saturday as a time to clean the house, run errands or be the home chef. Also, the following weekend is a bye week leading up to the Super Bowl, which gives you two whole days to put your nose to the grindstone at home.

If those weekends are already filled up, think about things that can be done during the game. Don't throw your yellow flag at the screen just yet—hear this out. You can start the laundry before the game, change it during halftime and finish it after the game. You can also start a slow-cook meal prior to the game and let it do the work while you enjoy the battle between New England and Indianapolis. Don't worry, we're not advocating that you miss a single second of game time, just that you stay a responsible spouse during the NFL playoffs.

So you know what you're getting into, here’s a quick rundown of the upcoming playoff schedule, leading up to the Super Bowl:

Sunday, January 21 – Conference Championships
3:00 p.m. EST – New Orleans Saints vs Chicago Bears on Fox
6:30 p.m. EST – Indianapolis Colts vs New England Patriots on CBS