How to Help Your Relationship Survive a Lockdown

Relationship struggles make perfect sense these days.

• We’re stuck inside our homes, forced to spend more time together than ever before. 
• We’re relying on a partner for almost all of our social support because we can’t meet our friends and family.
• We're trying to find a balance between new responsibilities (working from home, child care or housekeeping).

It’s not fair and realistic to expect your partner to be your only source of stress relief:

• Allow yourself to feel your feelings.
• Spend five to 10 minutes every day journaling.
• Meditate.
• Move your body.
• Reach out to friends and relatives, without your partner by your side.

You have to take care of yourself to be able to take care of others.

Make a plan for how you’re going to handle as a team everything that you have to do.
Create a shared calendar with all of your tasks and responsibilities, and block specific hours for when you’re going to do them. Take the time for weekly meeting, to plan the week ahead.

Your partner is going through the same emotions that you are. It can be useful to stop and ask each other questions like:

• “What was your day like today?”
• “What sorts of feelings are coming up for you right now?”
• “Are there any ways I can support you or be a better partner to you?”

Spending all that time together with your partner may lead to tensions. Set some healthy boundaries:

• If you’re both working from home, designate separate work spaces, if possible.
• Try to give each other space during the day. It’s normal to need alone time.
• Be creative with date nights.
• Practice appreciation and gratitude.