How to save your romantic relationship in coronavirus times

In a world, where social distancing has become the new norm, it’s not easy to maintain healthy relationships. Most companies have allowed people to work from home and couples are now forced to spend an overwhelming amount of time together. Will these quarantine relationships last? Let’s talk about how to save your romantic relationship in coronavirus times.

Why relationships in coronavirus times need nurturing

In the past 5 months, we’ve seen the pandemic’s devastating effect on the economy. Many governments have caused disturbances in several industries by asking its residents to “self-quarantine.”

But the economy’s not the only area that’s suffered. We’ve also seen what quarantine is doing to relationships.

Couples who are suddenly forced to spend 24 hours a day together can start to build resentments toward each other. And those who started a fresh relationship in January have to deal with dating following the social distancing rules.

But listen: don’t let your connection fade because of the crisis. In this article, we’ve outlined some of the best strategies to save your romantic relationships during the coronavirus period.

Let’s take a look.

How quarantine can affect a romantic relationship in coronavirus times

Coronavirus lockdown’s impact on relationships does not come only from having to spend too much time with our partners. Additional stress is caused by the fact that during a pandemic we’re cut off from our usual ways to relax. Gyms, shopping malls, and bars are all closed or slowly opening up with restrictions for everyone’s health and safety benefit.

This can lead to problems with concentration and getting a good night’s sleep.

To make matters worse, many people have experienced a complete reversal of roles in their quarantine relationships.

When one of the partners was laid off during the crisis, the other suddenly became the only wage-earner in the household. This situation can be difficult to accept because we’ve got no control over it.

And needless to say, if a couple quarantines with kids, they won’t have much time or space for romance. The resulting lack of emotional intimacy between partners only grows the quarantine stress on relationships.

Respect each other’s space

The most effective way to prevent fights is to communicate your needs. Especially the needs that are related to your personal space. Let your partner know if you need more privacy and encourage your other half to do the same.

Even small things like asking your partner to keep a wider distance on a couch can make a huge difference in a quarantine. Unspoken needs can turn into unnecessary conflicts later, especially with you two sharing your space so much.

If both of you need to work in the same room, one of the partners can purchase noise-canceling headphones. These are great to set boundaries for each partner’s workspaces.

You’ll learn to respect your partner’s space in new and unique ways and be more thoughtful about each other’s needs. This way, your relationship in coronavirus times can grow even stronger than they were before.

Reducing isolation anxiety

Whether you’re married with kids or still single going through the best dating sites review to get the best from quarantine relationships, the uncertainty can cause different thoughts. This manifests in feelings of immense interest, which promotes your communications with others.

But here’s something interesting: you shouldn’t try to move past the tension. Instead, try to recognize and feel it. Acknowledge its presence and simply observe it. This calm approach can make the tension leave by itself.

It’s a mindful approach that’s great to bring the anxiety down naturally and healthily.

Start a hobby to strengthen your romantic relationship in coronavirus times

Quarantine is the perfect time to start a new hobby at home. And picking something you can do together, will have a long-lasting positive impact on your relationship.

Here are some ideas for hobbies you can do at home:

• Learn a new foreign language together
• Start a little garden in your kitchen
• Pick up a new board game; choose something challenging
• Other fun hobby ideas

Quarantine and family relationships can also benefit from learning new skills together. For example, the mother, father, and kids can all participate in cooking.

Doing things together as a family is therapeutic for everybody during a time of crisis.

Quarantine – A great opportunity to build emotional intimacy

Another surprisingly nice thing about the quarantine is that it gives you lots of time to build emotional intimacy. With various exercises and games, you can rekindle your passion and strengthen the relationship in coronavirus times.

You might try some old-fashioned romance ideas. Or, here are some meaningful exercises that don’t take a lot of effort, but can strengthen your quarantine relationships significantly:

• Recreate your first dates. Try to remember the moment when you started to fall in love. If you need some help remembering, try recreating the setting, the mood, or even the menu.
• Play the popular “10 reasons for loving you” game. Write each reason for loving your partner on a little piece of paper. Then leave each romantic note every day to a place your partner would notice it.

The best part is that these two games can work well even for quarantine distance relationships. With the right music and lighting, you can recreate the atmosphere of the first date even through the computer screens. And the love notes you can post on your partner’s social media profiles. Or send them as direct messages if you wish to have more privacy.

Concluding words on nurturing a romantic relationship during coronavirus times

It’s important for every couple to first accept the increased stress around well-being and money. A calm moment is the best time to develop a plan to deal with the upcoming conflicts.

Use the tips from this article to help you navigate a rough patch. With the right strategies, your relationships during quarantine, even the long-distance ones, can grow stronger.

About today’s writer

Miranda Davis is a freelance writer in the relation and psychology area. Miranda is interested in such topics as building healthy relationships between people, love/sex compatibility, and how to find the right balance in life in general. She is currently doing specific research on the topic. Miranda loves cooking and long-distance walking.

Do you have your own tips to share on how to save quarantine relationships? Leave a comment below!