I know not all relationships are the same. My boyfriend and I are living in our parents' houses and are only able to see each other once a week. Not all couples are even able to see each other at all during these months of quarantine, or they were forced to live under the same roof and have gotten too used to one another.
Whether you've been quarantined with your boo or separately, it is important to nurture your relationship in order to maintain some sanity during these uncertain times.
1. Make sure to give each other space.
Some couples are forced to live together and by the time you are past the honeymoon phase in a relationship, you start to want to have your own independence and space from your loved one (which is totally normal). This could mean staying in separate rooms for half the day and then spending time together when you both have given each other space or going out for a short walk around the block to clear your head. Either way, trying to be on top of your partner isn't going to be a great thing after a while so both of you have to come up with a game plan as to what the week will look like and respect each other's wishes. This goes for anyone who is quarantined away from their S.O., too! Give yourselves some space instead of texting constantly.
2. Talk things out.
Just because there is a pandemic happening and the world appears to be losing its cool doesn't mean that communication is thrown out the window. Communication in a relationship is always key. If both of you have something to say make sure to let your loved one know and try to come to a compromise/understanding.
3. Don't get hung up on the little things.
Similar to my second point, during these times, things can get heated or fights can happen because of misunderstandings or being irritated by things your S.O. does. Whether it is you both getting on each other's nerves more than usual or that you are far apart, little things do start to add up and maybe we should let them go for now. In a relationship, you can't get upset about everything your partner does that you don't agree with/don't like/don't want (within reason). My boyfriend gets on my nerves at times or we have a misunderstanding, but (and this connects to my next point) both of us have to come to a conclusion of how to fix the situation and/or be more lenient on one another during these times. I will not discard the fact that some little things do add up to big things but that is for you to judge whether they are worth getting hung up on or to move on from.
4. Make compromises.
Similar to my second and third points, compromising is always important in a relationship in order to keep relative peace. And now more than ever (mostly) everyone is in a difficult and stressful situation that might get on people's nerves. So it's important to respect each other's limitations and work towards ways that would benefit both of you and try not to have negotiations that are one-sided.
5. Support/protect each other.
This may seem obvious but we shouldn't lose sight of this fact since now more than ever people are facing immense struggles and this can stress people to the point where they forget about the struggles of others. We can be a little more lenient on our S.O.s for forgetting the little things or being overbearing or lazy. We can just be as supportive as we can toward each other. My boyfriend and I try to support each other to the best of our abilities and it may not always work but at least we make the effort to be there when either of us is upset/mad/stressed, etc.
6. Try to do new things together (whether outdoors or indoors).
This is more toward people who are living together since I was talking to one of my friends awhile ago and she was having a hard time with her fiance. I would recommend that maybe once a week or so, you and your S.O. do something nice together that neither of you have done before to limit the amount of time you spend together and keep things lively during these times.
7. Try to make time to call each other.
Now, this is for people who can't see their S.O. for a long period of time. I can say that most people don't like long-distance relationships because the intimacy factor is hard to replicate. For a time I couldn't see my boyfriend for 2 months and both of us were unhappy. How we tried to compensate is by Skyping/FaceTiming, watching a movie together over the phone, or just talking. This can start to get boring after a while but you can get creative on what you and your partner can do until there is a time you can see them. It is also important, if you plan to make calling temporary, to set up a specific date when you will see each other.
8. Keep in mind that there is a lot of stress happening at the moment.
The most important thing to note in your relationship as of right now is that this is a tough time for everyone and there will be adjustments made in order to prevent the disease from happening again. When my boyfriend and I are fighting we try to make up and talk things out. I always try to keep in mind that he also has issues/problems to deal with just as I do. It doesn't mean all behavior is excusable, but keep that in mind when dealing with your relationship. If this pandemic brings the worst out of both of you and you aren't able to come to terms or find a compromise and makeup, then it's best to end things and try to move on. This advice is still valid, but I am not saying people in relationships should give up when things get a little rough.
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