As couples spend more time in the same space during the Covid lockdown, it’s not surprising that tensions sometimes rise.
Anxiety about work, disrupted routines, child care and home schooling, lack of social connections, and struggles to be productive at home may lead couples to vent their frustrations on each other.
This time has been equally tough for my family as well but we have worked out ways to ensure that we all don’t breakdown or break each other. Sharing some of our ways we managed this at our end.
- Do what engages you and only you. Whether it’s creating something, writing, meditating, talking to friends on Zoom or activities like reading, doing a puzzle, or playing video games.
- Ensure you and your partner have individual spaces if you’re both working from home. Make sure you each have enough privacy to concentrate and conduct your work.
- Respect each other’s time and space. It is best to keep interruptions with each other to a minimum during the day. In the evenings, engage in doing things together like go for a car ride, sit on the front porch and talk, watch a television series, or take a walk.
- Don’t assume the other person knows what you’re thinking. None of us have lived through a pandemic before, so we don’t have past experience to guide us. Talk to each other about your feelings and what worries you. Believe me, this helps !
- Make a plan for your household activities. Discuss how you will take care of responsibilities as a team. Perhaps you can divide household chores and take turns home schooling younger children.
- Plan a date night. Most importantly plan to spend some time alone with each other without distractions of house chores, kids or even work! A special dinner together, set the table with your best dish, a glass of wine, get dressed up and CONNECT.
Life isn’t going to be perfect all the time. The value of a relationship is that you stick by each other for better or for worse. This pandemic isn’t a permanent situation. Try to stay focused on the good things around you.
Mayura Bhatia
( India )