Whether you are happily married or still searching for the one, having a love life in the time of COVID-19 is new for everyone. Naturally, dating in the midst of a pandemic isn’t easy – you’ve got to weigh up the risks of contracting the coronavirus against not dating for the foreseeable future.
On the other end of the spectrum, married couples and those that cohabiting have to deal with challenges of living in closed quarters more frequently than ever before. And increasing divorce rates shows that lockdown is having an impact on established relationships too.
So, perhaps being in a relatively new, exclusive relationship is the happy medium that can avoid the pitfalls of maneuvering the challenges posed by COVID-19? Well, we’re afraid that even those at the start of finding happily ever after are going to have their work cut out for them too.
However, here are some pointers you might want to take on board to help your new relationship survive and thrive during the lockdown and beyond:
Understand That This is New Territory for Everyone
Despite how people portray their lockdown situation on social media understand that this is just a snapshot of their lives and everyone is simply trying to manoeuvre the situation as best they can. These are unprecedented times and believe it or not, there is no right way of doing things. Keep an open mind, give things a shot but be kind to yourself and realise that there may need to be an element of trial and error in the process of nurturing a new romantic relationship.
Use Technology To Communicate Regularly
While social media may seem like a curse at times, the internet and technology are going to be your greatest assets when it comes to communicating and dating ‘long’ distance. Take advantage of tools like Skype, Zoom and Whatsapp to have video calls. And take things a step further by using technology to organise virtual dinner dates or take part in other fun online activities to keep things interesting between you and your significant other.
Manage Expectations
Again, it’s important to acknowledge that the circumstances we are operating in are extraordinary and relationships are just one aspect of life that people are having to deal with differently. Remember that many of us will be having to adapt to working from home as well as the mental stress of financial worries and anxiety about the health implications of the virus for ourselves and our families. So, manage your expectations to take account of the situation. On the flip side, this doesn’t mean that the pandemic gives anyone an excuse for bad behaviour so don’t drop your standards completely.
Be Spontaneous, Be Bold and Think Outside The Box
Finally, take the new normal as an opportunity to break away from old patterns and do things a little differently. If coronavirus has made something abundantly clear, it’s that life is short. So be bold, make grand gestures and tell people how you feel.
Why not send the object of your affection something to let them know you are thinking of them? Getting out and about may not be the best option these days but you can get pretty much anything you need using the internet – you can now shop for everything including flowers, chocolates and even jewelry online. So there are no excuses!
Romantic relationships aren’t straightforward at the best of times but just perhaps the challenging situation the whole world finds itself in will bring things into perspective for people, hopefully helping us to prioritize what is important and motivating us to take the necessary steps towards happiness.
