Staying in Love During a Pandemic – Advice from Divorce Attorneys

Staying in Love During a Pandemic – Advice from Divorce Attorneys

In these stress-filled days of pandemic worries, financial woes, and daily frustrations, couples have been finding it hard to find time to relax and be together as they were before the quarantine. Many couples are facing issues of how to work together at home for long periods of time without distractions or without getting into a routine that drains their energy and takes their focus away from one another and their marriage.

As divorce rates climb during the pandemic when many couples find they can no tolerate their faults in closed quarters, divorce attorneys come together to suggest a few pieces of advice to keep communication fresh and productive and keep happy couples together and happily in love amidst any new stresses or irritations that come up after months of being cooped up together at home. It is not uncommon for couples to run into trouble in their relationship as they sit cooped up in their homes for months, we offer some friendly advice regarding how to keep love alive in your relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Build space even in your confined space.

Although so many suggest the importance of clear and constant communication, honesty is the most integral part of daily communication with your spouse, especially when stuck in a confined space. While it may be tempting to leave in the middle of a passive-aggressive fight and walk away, the pandemic took away many options to leave passive-aggressive tension in the open as couples are forced to stay in the same home with each other. Due to living in a confined space without the opportunity to leave for a weekend away or shop or focus on hobbies, is crucial to really dig into the things that bother you or that you want to be fixed in the marriage and communicate it openly and truthfully. If you need space that requires that your spouse stays in the living room while you can spend some time alone in your own room, ask for that openly and carve out time to focus on yourself and be alone even during the quarantine.

Accept new changes and plan new date nights.

Life can get messy and schedules can become extremely busy but without constant focus and attention on the marriage, a couple’s relationship can dissolve into boredom and lose its passion. Even when pressed for time, most relationships counselors recommended that couples set at least one hour per week to focus on themselves and keep the romance alive, however as the pandemic shut down restaurants, movie theatres, and other romantic settings, couples are forced to brainstorm new ways of keeping romance alive at home. It is important to accept these new changes, discuss what feels best, and work with the space you are given, whether that is planning cozy wine nights by the fire or having a romantic dinner on the patio.
Be quick to forgive.

When cooped up in a house together, it is productive to simply state what upsets you with honest and direct communication in order to avoid tension while staying quarantined together. However, if fights do arise, and they surely will, it is always better to simply say sorry, talk out the argument, and forgive each other freely and often. Allow arguments and flaws to sit and simmer in the relationship without any closure or apology can lead to bitter resentment down the road, so it is never a good idea to keep a grudge but rather sit each other down and hash out the problem. While it is normal to be stressed during these uncertain days, you will never regret saying “I’m sorry” and moving on.

Give frequent compliments.

Most importantly, on days when it seems the close quarters and confinement is too much to bear, it is important to remember why you got together with your spouse and reminisce on better days and plan an exciting future. Make sure to continue to complement each other freely and often in order to stay positive in the relationship and practice gratitude in your daily lives.