The Effect Of Lockdown On Relationships

If you thought 2020 was going to be the year of love, you were probably mistaken. For couples and singles alike, the last few months have been a stressful, sometimes lonely experience.

Not being able to leave the house, or socialize in the way we once did, doesn’t necessarily need to spell the end for your love life.

Singles

During COVID-19, the dating scene has all but ground to a halt as people were restricted from meeting face to face. In response, many people have been looking to online dating to try and form connections.

Millions of people have an online dating platform or app to find dates. Some of them have good reputations, others, not so good. There are many out there to choose from, including thechatlinenumbers for black people, eHarmony, Dating.com, and OK Cupid.

Even if you find a match online, face to face meetings are still not possible in many areas due to social distancing restrictions. In these circumstances, getting creative about getting to know each other is still possible. Video dating and socially distanced dates outdoors are all ways to keep your dating life active.

Couples

While isolation may not have been a problem for couples during lockdown, the stress of the situation still took its toll on couples who found themselves working and living together 24/7. Spending such long periods of time together, in a stressful situation, often with kids and job pressures, leads to arguing and a breakdown of communication. In fact, divorce inquiries during the past six months are far higher than the average.

While life is unlikely to go back to normal for some time for couples, there are things they can do to try and prevent too much of a strain on their relationship including:

- Making time for personal space – even the closest of couples need to spend time apart. Being in each other’s company 24/7 isn’t healthy. By carving out some time for yourselves, you’ll be able to take some of the tension out of your relationship. Even a few hours can make the world of difference to you both.
- Make time for each other as a couple – being together all the time isn’t the same as spending time together. As a couple, you need to be present with each other away from the stresses of work, or chores for kids. Set time aside for ‘date nights’ where you can shut out the world and focus on each other.
- Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable – a lot of people are anxious about the state of the world, their health, and their job. If you bottle up these anxieties, then they can manifest themselves as anger, impatience, and lashing out. And it’s often your partner who is on the receiving end of this behavior. By being open about how you’re feeling, you’re less likely to bottle it up until it starts affecting your relationship.