One of the biggest complaints heard from people in relationships is that they don’t get enough personal space or alone time. When you first start dating you want to spend every waking moment together, but after you’ve been living under the same roof for a while, you begin to need that alone time more often. While alone time is pretty easy to arrange in a normal world, the world today is far from normal.
The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in lockdowns across the country, meaning you’ll be spending a whole lot more time with your spouse than you normally would. The virus has individuals under extreme stress and that can easily translate into a ton of pressure on your marriage. There are steps that you can take to grow your relationship, instead of letting COVID tear it apart. Below you can find a few evidence-based tips to help you reconnect with your partner during the Coronavirus pandemic.
1. Have super-simple date nights once a week.
Studies have found that couples who devote time specifically to one another at least once a week seem to deal with crisis better and are more apt to have high-quality relationships. You don’t have to be elaborate about it. You can do something as simple as finding a new recipe online and making the meal together or curling up on the couch for a night of binge-watching Netflix, complete with popcorn, hot cocoa, and other snacks. What you do on your date night isn’t as important as the fact that you’re doing it together.
One activity you can try on your date nights is putting together love photo books of your journey to where you are right now. Snuggle up on the couch and gather your favorite photos along with your favorite memories to put in a romantic photo book. Putting together this love book will tell your story from the day you met to your wedding day and beyond in a unique way that’s all about you and your partner. You can tell your own story of a love that is still going strong in a custom photo book that is fully of your own making. Putting together a romantic photo book together is simple—there are plenty of design templates online—and is a fun thing to do together without having to leave the house. In the end, you’ll have a beautiful book that gives you the chance to remember exactly how much you love your partner and what you’re doing this for.
1. Go to bed at the same time.
While there are pros and cons to going to bed at the same time, especially during the pandemic, you need to try to go to bed at the same time as your partner at least a few times a week. Research has shown that couples who have different sleep schedules all the time have problems with marital adjustment, more marital conflict and spend less time together during the day. Going to bed at the same time can lead to cuddling, which can lead to conversations that need to be had as well. It often helps couples view their relationship in a more positive light and relieves stress, because problems get talked out instead of being kept bottled up inside.
3. Give your relationship the time it needs to breathe.
The pandemic has forced couples into spending time together, instead of spending time with others. Spending time together is a good thing, but you need other relationships in your life as well, such as friends, family, and even coworkers. Since you’re stuck together during the lock down, it’s important to give your relationship time to breathe. You can do this by spending time in different areas of the house a few times a day, connecting with friends and family in video calls, chats and on the phone, and understanding that your partner can’t be your only means of support and at your beck and call all day. Giving your relationship time to breathe will help you come out of this stronger and more in love than you’ve ever been before.
These are just a few simple ways to reconnect with your partner during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remember, this will pass and, if you take these tips, you’ll find yourself stronger as a couple when it does.
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