The pandemic has introduced a lot of different things to people. Those unfortunate enough to stay in other countries were stranded for some time. Even those staying in other states in the US found themselves unable to go to their hometowns because of the shelter-in-place orders.
If you’re in a blossoming relationship, the pandemic isn’t your friend.
You’re going to have to re-imagine how to go on dates or how to manage a growing relationship. Dates are an essential part of a relationship, especially in the early stages, and not being able to see each other might take a toll on that relationship. If you meet your partner recently through a matchmaking service online or through speed dating, chances are you’ll be keeping that relationship online for a long time because of the pandemic.
Keeping a healthy relationship during the pandemic can be challenging; it’s not impossible, though it can be easy to confuse the two. Take a look at how you can keep that relationship going.
Communication and Space: Do They Change?
A relationship is a two-way street; there’s no other way to do it properly. If you’re apart from each other, then building your relationship could be a challenge. However, it’s a challenge to be welcomed, and there are ways how you can ensure the growth continues unhindered.
Check up on each other daily. It doesn’t have to be through calls. Throughout the day, a message or two is already good enough to help you and your partner understand how the other is doing.
It’s even easier if you are already living with your partner. Since companies have opted for work-from-home arrangements, it’s easier to check how the other is doing. Keep doing this so that you’ll rest assured that there’s nothing wrong with the other or with the relationship.
A Unique Challenge When Living Together
The problem with a live-in setup is that both partners might feel cramped and stifling. When at work, there’s a time when both couples have time on their own. The problem here is when they’re both working at home. Privacy might be limited.
Being cramped up in the same house all the time could cause each other to feel like they’ve got no space for their ‘me-time’. This is an important part of the relationship. You can easily remedy this by finding places in the house where you’re away from each other physically or going on an errand on your own.
Go with the Flow: Don’t Be Too Serious
Some relationships fail because both partners are taking things too seriously. Healthy relationship advice states that you can keep things light and straightforward in work-from-home setups by keeping privacy from each other. Where one partner works in the living room, the other one can work in the bedroom, or vice versa.
Again, if you feel like you’re stifling your partner, or they’re stifling you, go for a walk outside. If you don’t want to go to the store, drinking coffee on the balcony or checking the plants in your backyard could be a worthwhile distraction.
Have a Little More Compassion
This is what’s lacking in relationships even before the pandemic. Sometimes, it’s easy to make it all about yourself that you forget to consider what your partner thinks. While it’s easy to get distracted by the self, don’t make it the selling point of your relationship. Consider asking your partner how they feel.
Compassion is terribly needed because people are stressed out and can easily snap at any given minute. If you have children, you need this all the more. You should show compassion through words and actions, just so your family knows that you are truly thinking of them during the pandemic, even if it’s hard for you to show it through actions.
Listen to Your Family
Relationships also fail because people fail to listen. This is one of the many reasons why wars have started in the past—because people failed to listen to viable solutions and compromise. If this is what’s lacking in your relationship, you should work hard to bring it into your lives.
Think about what your spouse is saying, and don’t think of a snapback or a comeback. To understand what they said, repeat it back to them, then make sure that you’re coming from the point of understanding. This is also a crucial part of communication.
The pandemic can easily bring most of us on edge and keep us on that edge. We should work hard to keep our relationships in a safe zone during the pandemic. This is an unprecedented time, but if we truly value our partners, no distance will keep us apart.
