The coronavirus pandemic has truly changed the world we live in, and even those who have been fortunate enough not to catch the virus themselves have been affected by its ceaseless spread across the globe.

Lockdown measures have been imposed around the world and have proven valuable for slowing the spread of the virus, but they have had some negative effects on people’s stress levels and personal relationships.

With couples cooped up together and rising tensions between them, domestic violence rates have increased. Domestic violence covers a variety of actions, from full-on physical abuse to emotional attack and hurtful comments.

Fortunately, most relationships won’t go quite that far, but a lot of couples might find themselves arguing more or struggling to get along due to the stresses of life in lockdown. Here are some tips to help you and your partner stay strong through these challenging times.

Make Some Space

One of the most important tips to help any couple to survive during lockdown is to make some space for one another. This is especially true if you’re both working from home, as it can be quite stressful for many people to adapt to a life outside of the office or their usual workplace.

Designate some work stations for yourself and your partner and stick to those rules, respecting each other’s space and basically trying to live out your workdays as normally as possible, without interrupting or interfering with each other too much.

Around 7 in 10 workers have reported that this pandemic has been the most stressful period of their entire working lives, and those stress levels can be exacerbated if you allow your family or home life to disrupt your work life too heavily.

Don’t Overdo It

Since you’re both in the same home, it might seem logical to try and spend as much time as possible together during the lockdown, making the most of this unique experience. That might work for some couples, but it definitely won’t be for everyone.

With divorce rates rising in several parts of the word post-lockdown, it’s clear to see that the idea of constantly being confined with our partners isn’t always super healthy for our relationships overall.

Of course, you can try to make the most of the situation and happily spend more time with your partner doing fun things throughout the days and evenings, but be sure to respect each other’s boundaries too, which leads us onto the next point.

Take Some Me Time

As well as spending time focusing on your relationship and improving your connections with your partner, it’s also important to take a little ‘me time’ and look after your own mental health too.

It’s impossible to truly look after someone else without looking after yourself beforehand, after all, and many people find themselves feeling more stressed, sad, or angry when they feel like they aren’t able to engage in some of their favorite personal hobbies. This feeling of being trapped is partly what has led to a rise in domestic abuse cases during the lockdown.

Whether it’s spending an hour each day doing your own personal workout, creating something, or engaging with a fun hobby like listening to music, playing video games, or reading books, a little personal time can go a long way.

Communicate

This is a general key to any healthy relationship, and it’s especially important during these challenging times, in which our personal relationships truly are changing in some big ways.

Nobody has ever lived through a situation quite like this before, after all, and we’re all feeling and thinking a lot of new things as the pandemic evolves and grows.

This is the perfect time to sit down and simply talk with your partner, not being afraid to open up about your fears and worries. Calm communication can solve a lot of problems and help both partners feel a lot better.

Conclusion

Lockdown life is something we’ve all had to get used to in recent months, but it certainly hasn’t been easy, and it’s no wonder that so many individuals and couples have been suffering as a result of this sudden shift in lifestyle.

However, with patience, understanding, consideration, and communication, you and your partner can get through this difficult time stronger than ever before, with your bonds renewed and your connections strengthened.

Be there for one another, while also taking some time for yourselves, and help lockdown become a positive influence on your partnership, rather than a negative one.