The pandemic has imposed new challenges, particularly for those in relationships. No matter how long you’ve been together or your status, relationships are a struggle to maintain during this new normal. Long-distance relationships have increased, and couples in the same city can’t just conveniently spend time together whenever they please with the various lockdown and social distancing protocols that exist. Here are just some of the keys to keeping your relationship healthy during the new normal.
Quality Time
Quality time is an essential aspect of any relationship. It’s not only how you build intimacy in a relationship but also how you get to know them better. However, you should also know that this is the one aspect that’s frustrating to get during this pandemic. Especially for long-distance relationships who have to endure not seeing their partner or significant other for months, quality time isn’t as accessible today when physically being with that person. You can’t just visit your partner whenever due to social distancing or lockdown protocols. So alternatively, couples may opt for virtual calls since this is the best option for couples to spend some time together. You can choose to do virtual dates, game nights, Netflix parties, or something along those lines. This may not measure up to the feeling of an actual date, but it’s still an interaction between you and your partner that fosters deeper connections and lets you keep making new memories together. Quality time is tricky to prioritize sometimes, especially now, but it’s necessary to maintain a healthy relationship during the pandemic.
Open Communication
There’s a saying that communication is vital for a relationship to work. Even if the overall dynamics of your relationship changed a bit during the pandemic, you need to maintain open communication with your partner. In an era where digital innovations and platforms surround us, you should use social media and different messaging applications to your advantage. There are various social media channels to choose from, such as Instagram and Facebook. Nowadays, there are many ways to communicate with your partner that aren’t just limited to text messages. Even if you might not see your partner constantly in the way you’d prefer because of the pandemic, you can still engage in video calls, voice calls, social media, or even online games. You can expect barriers in virtual communications such as technical issues, internet connection, and the like, but effective communication in your relationship will withstand almost everything.
Consistency
As the pandemic brings all types of changes to our lives, the best thing to maintain your relationship is to stay consistent. It’s essential to try and preserve the foundation of your connection to how it was before the pandemic ever hit. So if your setup was always spending quality time together or constantly communicating with one another every day, don’t let the pandemic change that. In order to keep your relationship healthy and thriving, consistency is an essential aspect as it shows how much you deeply care for one another. Consistency keeps your relationship grounded so that no matter what drastic changes the pandemic hits you with, you have enough faith that your relationship will keep thriving.
Thinking About the Future
No matter the longevity of your relationship, it’s essential that you both find ways to prevent things from getting too mundane. This means you can’t stay in the same place throughout your relationship. If you’ve been together for years, it’s time to think of what the future holds. This is your window of opportunity to talk about significant decisions such as moving in together or getting married. If you’re both sure that you’re with the right person and you think you’re ready to take on more responsibility in your relationship, it’s as good a time as ever. Even if we’re all adjusting to this new normal, you can still progress in your relationship. You can start by slowly feeling things out together, like looking at some possible future homes or scouting for your potential wedding venue. The steps before these actual milestones also significantly contribute to your relationship’s trajectory.
Final Thoughts
Your relationship is crucial to maintain during the pandemic as your partner is one of the people who make you genuinely happy. Feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness have been a common occurrence during isolation, even for those in a relationship. To keep your relationship happy and thriving even in such uncertain times, make sure to have effective communication, spend time together, be consistent, and try to accomplish another relationship milestone.
