According to reports coming out from China, divorce rates among couples who spent quarantine together tend to be on the rise. One of the reason why relationships can reach a breaking point during the self-imposed isolation is because time spent together exacerbates problems that already exist.
Add to the equation the stress of the pandemic, uncertainty about one’s financial future and the anxiety about when things will get back to being normal again, and it becomes easy to see why some relationships might not emerge intact from quarantine.
In order to help you cope with these stressful times and emerge out of them with your relationship intact, here are some tips:
#1: Set aside some ‘alone time’ everyday
Regardless of how much you love each other, both of you need time every day when you are only with yourself and it just can’t be when you’re using the foam hand sanitizer dispenser which you have placed at the entry point of your home.
Discuss the importance of alone time with your partner. Make sure they agree with your viewpoint and then spend as much time as both of you want on your own every day. Both of you need time when you don’t see each other to avoid getting to the other one’s head.
#2: Exercise daily
Studies show that when we sweat, our mind is cleared and the symptoms of anxiety and depression disappear. The increase in our heart rate also makes us feel calm after the workout and makes it less likely to snap at our better-half on the first hint of provocation.
Therefore, even if you can’t go outside and don’t have any exercise equipment in your home, consult YouTube for exercises which you can do on your own.
#3: Schedule fun time together
If you’re one of those working couples who rarely see each other during the day due to conflicting work schedules, you now have all the time in the world to reconnect. You should exploit this free time to engage in fun things with your partner. However, if you are struggling to have a good time together, you can also go for relationship therapy. Hundreds of thousands of couples from around the world have benefited from it. Yours could be next!
#4: Stay in touch with your loved ones
Since it isn’t possible these days to visit your loved ones, you can do the next best thing by scheduling at least one or two calls to people you care about. Inquire them about their well-being. Ask about the weather. Speak to them about the hand sanitizer advertising kiosk you saw in your neighborhood. Tell them about what you plan to do once all of this is over.
You’d see that as you try to maintain your other relationships, the health of your relationship with your partner will automatically improve.