Like millions of people worldwide, you would probably be practicing social distancing and sheltering at home. While this confinement may make you restless, it is vital that you stay motivated to take these precautions to take care of yourself and your loved ones.
No matter how caring our intentions are, humans are still social creatures and need to keep our usual routines with others.
Currently, it is a challenge to disconnect with others or change our routines and relationships with others. So, how do you cope with these empty feelings? In these times of quarantine, concern, and crisis, how does one manage a healthy relationship? What are the solutions if you find yourself stressed out by doing everything from home?
How do you stay committed and strong to cooperate and work with each other until the world starts working normally again? Are healthy relationships boring? Thankfully, these are some questions that you might have heard earlier as well. The past generations managed to figure out how to deal with similar situations – we are all living proof of their success.
In fact, many relationships have managed to stay healthy and last for a lifetime due to the lessons they have learned or the strength they found to move on. If you want to move on, read something like the best hookup sites review. Such relationships remain strong by focusing on being companions and being willing to meet each other’s needs.
This is because such willingness and compassionate love will help you build a more caring and enduring connection beyond superficial passions that will bring you closer to family and friends.
What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like?
Before diving deep into some tips and tricks for maintaining a healthy relationship with your partner during the quarantine period, we need to understand the signs of a healthy relationship. Some of these signs that show what are healthy relationship boundaries include:
• Fun
• Healthy conflict
• Taking responsibility
• Kindness
• Equality
• Respect
• Independence
• Honesty
• Trust
• A comfortable pace
By this definition, a healthy relationship brings out the best in you and makes you feel good about yourself. While you might not feel blissfully happy, both partners need to feel connected and supported, while still having their independence.
Why Is a Healthy Relationship So Important?
Romantic or otherwise, our relationships often have a central part in our lives. As such, they can have a determining sway on our physical and emotional well-being. Many studies prove the importance of social relationships.
For better or worse, our relationship with our partner will have short- and long-term impacts on our health. So, what are healthy relationship expectations?
How will a healthy relationship affect you? A positive relationship with your partner gives you a sense of purpose, encourages healthy lifestyle choices, reduces stress, and might even help you live longer. Hence, you must maintain a healthy relationship for you and your partner’s physical and emotional well-being.
Of course, COVID-19 presents a lot of different challenges for us. Whether you are living separately or together, it is a difficult time for all. It is also the time where having a healthy relationship is more important now than ever!
Even during the best of times, relationships can be quite challenging. However, during this COVID-19 lockdown, it is advised that you maintain social distancing and not meet up until the restrictions are relaxed.
However, this does not mean that you have to compromise on your relationship with your partner. Can you have a healthy relationship with a narcissist? No, you cannot!
Building and Maintaining a Healthy Relationship with Your Partner During the Lockdown
Here is some healthy relationship advice that can help you build and maintain your relationship with your partner.
1. Try Sticking to Your Normal Pre-Quarantine Routines
Even before the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, you and your partner weren’t together all day long. This is the first sign that shows how healthy relationships look like. Now suddenly, you both are forced to stick around each other the entire day.
In such cases, it becomes relatively easier for unease to rise and the potential for conflict only increases.
As a remedy, it is suggested that you stick to the individual routine that you both had before the lockdown. It can be very beneficial for your relationship’s health.
By having a particular structure, you will feel more positive and productive; additionally, you both will have the much-needed breathing space.
2. Renegotiate Household Responsibilities
How you used to get things done before the lockdown period may not work very well, now that both of you are locked up in the same space. You and your partner may need to discuss and reevaluate your household responsibilities.
Talk about things that need to be done daily and decide on the schedule. It is how a healthy relationship should be.
With this, things in your household will run more smoothly and result in fewer conflicts between you and your significant other. You will work ahead, even before your problem arises. You need to show some care to your relationship’s health by showing extra support and love to your partner.
3. Catch-up Regularly
You must keep in touch with your partner during this challenging time of uncertainty. No matter your living arrangements, it is quite common for people to feel lonely and isolated during this quarantine.
If you catch-up with your partner, mostly if he/she lives separately, it can help you combat those feelings and keep you feeling connected.
To know where to find a healthy relationship, communication is crucial. Hence, you need to schedule chats and calls with your partner to maintain emotional bonds.
Both partners need to decide on the time on when to catch-up. Additionally, you need to ensure to follow through with these plans.
Thanks to technology today, you will find many ways to connect with your partner, even during this lockdown period. Some of the many different methods include video chatting, calling on the phone, exchanging messages throughout the day, etc. You and your partner need to choose a method that you both are comfortable with.
When you are talking to your partner, ensure that you talk about positives from your day. The achievement need not be huge, even something as simple as watching a movie that made you smile. Also, you should check on how your partner is doing emotionally.
Always discuss and try to find things that you both can work together. It is the main difference between a healthy relationship vs. toxic relationship.
When you are talking to your partner, you must be respectful of his/her boundaries. You do not have to be the one to bombard your partner, especially if he/she is still working.
It will inevitably lead to distractions and frustrations. Instead, you can spend time working on things that pique your interests. If you want to spend time positively, you can look for a new hobby or inspiration.
4. Talk About Your Fears and Anxieties
Fear and anxiety will only increase irritability, especially when it comes to interacting with your partner. You both have to remember that you love each other. Discussing and talking about your anxieties and fears will bring you both closer and will only strengthen those healthy relationship characteristics you share.
However, it is also important that you keep these talks to a minimum. Talking about sensitive topics like these can easily take up the whole day. Additionally, talking about it continuously will take a significant toll on your mental health and your relationship.
Always be understanding and attentive to each other’s concerns. It would help if you remembered that the COVID-19 pandemic is only temporary. You need to come up with a list of activities that you can do with your partner and cope with all the craziness going around you.
5. Work on Your Communication Skills
Whether it is with your partner or family/friends, your communication skills play a very central role for any relationship to work. A healthy relationship can be formed very quickly by explaining and discussing what you are thinking, and feeling will always create a trusting and fulfilling bond.
Additionally, communication skills are something that needs to be practiced by both partners since listening skills are also helpful.
If you want to maintain a healthy relationship and respect your spouse/partner, improving your communication skill is the key. With social distancing comes a lot of tension and stress, and living under the same roof can worsen them. It almost becomes impossible to communicate, and both partners end up getting caught up with the negatives.
Take some time out of your regular schedule and focus on talking to your partner more. Talk about everything that you are feeling and how the quarantine is affecting you.
Let your partner know what you need. Additionally, it would help if you also listened to what your partner is speaking about actively. When talking, speak about positives only to lighten the stress.
6. Get Involved in Some Shared Activities
Apart from having conversations with your partner, many other ways can help you stay connected with your partner and have a healthy relationship for couples.
There are a lot of activities that you can do together, even if you are not present there physically. With these small things, you can bring some kind of normality back to your daily life. Here are some ideas that can help you maintain a healthy relationship with your partner during the lockdown:
• Play Games
There are a lot of online games that you can play with your partner. While traditional games are quite enjoyable, you can also play modern PC or console games for limitless opportunities. You can either compete against one another or play side-by-side with each other.
<img alt=”Man and Woman Playing with Gadgets”>
• Cook
During the lockdown, there is always something creative to do in the kitchen. While you may not be present with one another physically, it does not imply that you cannot cook together as well. You can talk on Skype and come up with delicious recipes. Or, you can compete with one another and check whose culinary skills are polished.
• Watch a TV Show or Movie
Watching a TV show or movie with your partner is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy relationship with your significant other. Today, we have all sorts of streaming apps that house a wide collection of the latest TV shows and movies. You and your partner can huddle up together and watch some movies on Netflix.
• Create New Art
For creative couples, you can start working on your passion projects, especially during this lockdown period. This is the perfect time to get together and collaborate on something creative. Whether you both like painting, creating alcohol arts, coasters, or even music, etc., this lockdown period is the perfect time to engage and work on your hobbies.
7. Create Some Alone Time
When it comes to your and your partner’s mental health, you need to create some alone time and create a healthy relationship with yourself. During this time, whatever you do to unwind and relax is entirely up to you. However, you must get relaxed during this part, and your partner should not barge in to ruin the space at any moment.
Both partners need to discuss and sort out an agreeable schedule. Ensure that you set up some ground rules when it comes to interruptions and noise. This will help you keep your head straight and not have to feel like ripping your partner’s head off.
8. Maintain Relationships Apart From Your Partner
Maintaining a relationship with your family members and friends can become difficult with the rules of social distancing. Since you will not be able to visit them, you can use technology to stay in touch.
Talking to family members and friends may help you relieve symptoms of anxiety and boost your mental health. This will also help you maintain better healthy relationship dynamics with your partner, as you will not depend on him/her overly for emotional support.
9. Do Not Get Overly-Emotional on Small Things
A healthy relationship is characterized by witnessing healthy conflicts. You must discuss and talk about all issues and disagreements openly. The lockdown period may make things a bit fraught. This causes you or your partner to burst on minor matters.
Every person has their strange habits, which makes them unique. However, pandemic living may cause tension to amplify. Therefore, it is good to check yourself mentally and not lose your cool over small matters.
10. Watch Out for Your Mental Health
Lastly, you must consider both you and your partner’s mental health during this lockdown period. Healthy relationship or not, this is something that both partners need to take care of during the quarantine. You must maintain your and your partner’s mental health. Taking care of your mental health will ensure that your relationship remains healthy.
Always consider the needs of your partner if you find that their current condition is not being easy. However, you also need to consider your struggles. You and your partner need to engage in simple activities like:
• Eating well
• Limiting screen time
• Managing stress
• Practicing mindfulness
• Finding coping strategies
Final Thoughts
It is more important now than ever to take care of your relationship’s health by taking extra care for your partner during this uncertain time. You should take some extra support and love and understand the difference between a healthy and unhealthy relationship. You can use the tips mentioned above to ensure that your relationship with your partner is a smooth and healthy one. If you have any queries, you can write them down in the comment section below.
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