Coronavirus | Maintaining a Healthy Relationship During Quarantine
As coronavirus continues to create mayhem around the world, millions of people are now confined to the boundaries of their home. Maintaining a healthy relationship during quarantine can be even more challenging. Couples who live together are forced in closed quarters indefinitely, having to be around each other without pause. Understandably, it can be a bit hard to adjust to the new living situation as well as cope with the stress of the pandemic.
Maintaining a healthy relationship during quarantine under the new norms and while adjusting to the safety practices can be tough. Fortunately, we have spent some time discovering ways for you to use this time to strengthen the relationship and grow as a couple. As relationship coaches we are confident that every couple can find the path towards a healthier relationship during quarantine as long as they stay mindful of their own and their partner’s needs.
The important thing to remember is that it may take a little effort and compromise to maintain a healthy relationship during quarantine times. In these tough times, we all need to remember to be kind and mindful of others. Here are some things you can do to ease the time in quarantine.
Sticking with Individual Routines
Sticking to your own routines can actually be a great thing during this quarantine. Due to the social distancing practices and lockdowns in place, a lot of people have now found that their careers have become remote. Coronavirus outbreak has forced people to work from home indefinitely.
This may result in a significant change in your morning routines, and the time you should dedicate to it. However, as relationship coaches we recommend that the routine you had before the quarantine took place should be imitated as closely as you can. It can actually be a vital part of self-care that you need to put into practice every single day. This opportunity for self-care morning routines shouldn’t be ignored or neglected.
Couples need to be mindful of their separate routines and continue to follow them. Your partner’s needs should force you to neglect your own routines. The quiet time you get in the morning should be relished since it can be much-needed alone time to soothe your emotions. Even if you have to get up earlier than your partner so that you can both get your own time, do it. It can be great for both of you.
If, in your regular routine, you incorporated exercise in the mornings, you should do the same thing in the quarantine too. Keeping the body moving can help to keep depression and anxiety away. It is also necessary to get a little exercise during the quarantine to keep you active and focused. Doing the same activities as you did before the quarantine is important to stay sane and healthy.
Focus on the Good
While acknowledging that things are difficult for now can be a realist approach that you may need, it is also vital to focus on the positives. This will ensure that you and your significant other will not get into unnecessary fights and ruin the peace of the quarantine.
Focusing on the positives is mainly just a shift in mindsets that you may need to do. You should keep a check on negative thoughts and change them towards the positive. Rather than focusing on small things like your partner forgot to pick up their plate or didn’t empty the trash, you should focus on the cup of tea they made for you or the extra pillow they saved for you. It may sound like little things, but it can really help to make this quarantine much healthier for either of you.
Since the world is definitely throwing negative energy, which we tend to absorb, creating a safe space of positive energy can be quite nice. Even watching the constant drone of negative news can be unhealthy and stressful. Try to find positive news about the situation, too, since that can be quite uplifting.
Have a Conversation About Sex
You and your partner should probably have a conversation about sex during this time. Whether you’re having less or more sex than normal, as relationship coaches we encourage couples to understand that this change isn’t a cause for concern. The change in your sexual activity shouldn’t be of priority focus to either of you. If you’re having more, that is good for you, but if you’re having less, it shouldn’t be concerning at all. However, you may need a conversation about sex if you think your partner isn’t on the same page as you or you see it turning into an issue.
The important thing that you need to do as a couple is to talk it through and be kind throughout the process. It can be quite an issue if one person feels like you should have sex because there is nothing else to do while the other person feels like that’s the last thing they want due to the stress of the quarantine.
By discussing your sex life openly and as partners in the relationship, you will find that you are able to deal with the changes and stress in a much more positive way. In a heterosexual relationship, women may experience increased pressure to engage in sex even though they are actually losing their desire to do so. However, men may turn towards sexual activity as a way to cope with stress. This difference can be hard to bridge.
To make sure that sex isn’t an issue in the relationship, you may want to have an open conversation about you and your partner’s feelings. If you understand what the other person is feeling and acknowledge their opinions, you will be able to maintain a healthier relationship during the quarantine.
It is also important to acknowledge that we are already experiencing a lot of anxiety due to this pandemic. Both partners need to make conscious efforts to be more present at the moment instead of being consumed by anxiety. If they don’t, this anxiety can find a way into the bed.
Using Your Hands
It is recommended that you do activities that require using your hands. It helps to calm the nervous system and stimulate the heart chakra to release positive energy.
One such activity can be cooking. It can be especially helpful if you choose a recipe that brings up memories as a child. Even doing a puzzle can help relieve stress during this time. To maintain a healthy relationship during quarantine, you shouldn’t focus on being too serious. Finding things that are just plain fun can be quite stimulating too. Don’t just stay in bed watching Netflix all day all, but rather use your hands to create something.
Assigning Responsibilities Like A Business
Some people can find it beneficial to think about the relationship as a startup or business, especially for couples with children. The quarantine can mean a serious shift in the typical roles for both partners. As parents, you may need to take on a new role as a teacher or other additional responsibilities that you didn’t beforehand.
Due to the extent of this pandemic, everyone’s life has changed drastically. Even if you spent your entire lives as a traditional family, your roles can be entirely different now. Navigating these sudden changes can be easier, but only if both partners remain open to accepting the new responsibilities that these changes are bringing. Since there is more work to do, especially when it comes to children, both partners need to be determined to help each other out.
While you are accumulating to your new role, your partner should be willing to pitch in and be empathetic of your situations -and vice versa. To make sure that the changes occurring in your lifestyle and routines are seamless, you may want to sit down and make a plan that will work for both of you.
A good method of going about this may be to view the relationship as a business or startup. You can have a small “meeting” and divide your responsibilities as a parent for the upcoming week. You can change it up during the next meeting or recommend some new things too. This can make it easier for both of you since you are clear on what you have to do.
Just like any business, you can discuss what is working and what isn’t. This can make it easier to deal with any frustration that stems from being cooped up together. This tactic isn’t just for the quarantine time but can help strengthen the bond in the long run. It will help you both in easing issues and being able to communicate more effectively.
Both partners will have to work harder for the relationship, and you both have to accept this face. However, it won’t be forever and may even make your relationship stronger. If this method isn’t suitable for either of you, you should still be able to communicate your grievances as a couple.
Having Empathy for Each Other
As relationship coaches, we have been warning couples that the most important thing to consider during this tough time is to make sure that you are showing empathy to each other. It is definitely a stressful time, so even if it doesn’t seem like your partner is stressed, you should still be careful.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a huge shift in the employment landscape of the world as well. A lot of people are dealing with difficult things like losing their jobs, business, or loved ones. In such hard times, it is so important that couples show each other kindness and empathy. It can be hard to deal with such losses without it.
We are noticing that gender also plays a role in these issues. In heterosexual relationships, the man may think that they have to be strong during this period. On the other hand, women may seek empathy and compassion. Men have to understand that empathy and compassion in such stressful times are the most important traits of a strong personality. Women may also need to understand where men are coming from too.
At the End of the Day
The pandemic has definitely shifted our sense of the world and lifestyles for the foreseeable future. Being stuck inside for days on end can start to get on anyone’s nerves. With news of tragedy and loss every day, it can be even harder to focus on positive news and instances. Such stress can take a toll on any relationship. For married couples or couples who have chosen to quarantine together, there needs to be a conscious effort to maintain a healthy relationship during the quarantine.
Both partners need to find it in themselves to make the extra effort to ensure their partner’s needs are being met, but also taking care of themselves. Self-care can be vital for peace of mind and sanity in these tough times. Respecting each other’s boundaries and keeping communication lines open will go a long way to making sure that both of you are happy with each other.
Need to talk with a professional relationship coach? Contact Marriage Means Moore for a FREE Consultation! Also read Overcoming Disappointments in Your Marriage.
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