The pandemic caused by the Coronavirus (Covid-19) makes couples live together 24 hours a day in their homes, couples who were perhaps used to seeing each other only in free time and on weekends due to work. If you also have children, things can get even more tense ... But it is important to know how to cope with this situation so that your relationship is strengthened.
What happens now with couples and families whose new horizons are four walls and whose immediate company is reduced, at least for now, to those we love? In China, it appears that the divorce rate increased after the quarantine ended. One of the first acts for some couples when they came out blinking in the new light of freedom was to run straight to the divorce attorney. So the question is, how do we keep our relationships open and loving during confinement?
Overcome stress
Due to the stress of the coronavirus pandemic, many of us will not be at our best emotionally. Adding to the mix of panic and anxiety, for some, it's a primal fear of being trapped.
The divorce rate in China is not surprising, given that underlying problems in relationships were undoubtedly exacerbated by deep anxieties related to confinement and the coornavirus. But anticipating problems can be key to fostering relationships with those we love.
Here are some keys so that your relationship is strengthened instead of weakened.
Empathy
Communication is essential in these weeks of confinement, by communicating empathy becomes key for couples and families alike. Also: structure, anticipate and negotiate possible relationship problems that may arise as the days go by.
Our daily routines have been broken, the structure we take for granted has evaporated almost overnight. Faced with this new reality, it is necessary to establish clear divisions of work at home and assign tasks between partners and children.
Family members should try to be flexible and ready to take on different tasks than before closing. They need to be discussed so the plans feel fair and then reviewed after a few days to see if they are working. Y If you feel that the work done by family members does not meet their standards, do not conflict.
Listen to your partner
At a time when we feel scared and stressed, we need time to be calm and listen to other people's feelings. Men tend to try to solve problems, but you need to focus on listening without judging, dismissing, or evaluating. Fear can look like anger so if arguments arise, don't take it personally ... even if you don't allow them to disrespect you at any time.
Personal space
We all have different needs, one of the most common is space. But it is also one of the most difficult to manage during confinement, when a couple or family is homebound 24 hours a day. The advice is practical. Establish a space within the space.
Find a quiet place to read a book, make this time and space your daily routine. But if you need space but your partner doesn't, make sure you meet their needs as well. You do not want to act fast because because of the confinement you think that your relationship has a problem when in reality it does not. Remembering the divorce rate in China, if couples had let the dust settle and settle before parting ways, perhaps the problems could have been fixed. Time together is precious. Perhaps, if we listen, learn, laugh and love, we can transform this new stress into strength.