The COVID-19 pandemic can strain even the most functional relationship. It’s likely the two of you have had to learn how to cope with stress in ways you never imagined. Working through challenges can be difficult when stress is high. As we return to a more normal way of life post-COVID-19, you may be realizing you don’t recognize your relationship anymore.
When social distance guidelines set in, the opposite happened within the home. Couples now spend their mornings, afternoons, and evenings together without a break. As a result, you may find yourself needing some distance within your relationship. Suppose you’re missing your sense of autonomy due to the pandemic. In that case, you may notice the two of you share each other’s space rather than a healthy connection.
In this article, we’ll highlight five ways to strengthen your relationship as we begin to enter life post-COVID-19.
5 Ways to Strengthen Your Relationship
Reconnect. You may be thinking, “We’ve just spent way a whole year together.” However, as public places begin to open up, it could help to reconnect somewhere away from your home. For example, you could go for a walk or go out to eat at a restaurant. Regardless of where you go, the important part is taking time to intentionally reconnect.
Play Together. Stress can take the laughter and fun out of the relationship. If you’ve been facing a year of challenges due to COVID-19, it may be time to laugh. Setting a couple of hours aside to focus on laughing together can make a big difference in your relationship.
Refine Communication Skills. A study by the APA found when stress increases, happiness within the relationship can decrease. The study shows this is likely due to a decline in communication in relation to the level of satisfaction within the relationship. Therefore, be intentional in how you communicate with your spouse.
Offer Empathy and Gratitude. Understandably, your relationship may be struggling. COVID-19 is proving to affect millions of people in a variety of ways. If you’re feeling anxious, it may be weighing both of you down. On the contrary, offering empathy and gratitude for your partner can lift your spouse up. So, take time to express what you’re thankful to your partner every day.
Self-care. If you’ve had to take on more than you can handle out of necessity, self-care may be very beneficial. For example, you can ensure you are making healthy food choices. Likewise, you can prepare nutritious snacks to eat throughout the day. Another example includes taking time to meditate or add exercise into your daily routine. If you’re taking care of yourself, you’re more likely to be able to contribute to others.
Why It’s Worth Investing In Rebuilding A Healthy Relationship Post-COVID-19
If it seems like strengthening your relationship will require more than a date night or two, you may need professional help. As such, it may require an investment, both financially and in time. However, therapy helps the two of you identify problem areas and ways to correct them. Likewise, it can provide communication and stress management skills. As a result, you can restore peace and satisfaction, making time and money spent well worth it.
It’s very likely if you’re stressed, your spouse is too. Did your communication skills disappear just like normalcy did? If so, then therapy might be able to help get the two of you back on track.
At Fort Worth Counseling and Intervention, we understand the issues many couples are facing at this time. If you feel like you need some guidance to help strengthen your relationship, we may be able to help. Visit our website to learn more.
