1. Routine, boundaries and respect
Daily routines are important, whatever the circumstance. Whether you’re working from home or not, it’s important to have structure in your life. This might include setting working hours, daily exercise and time for ourselves, as well as time with our loved ones.
It’s helpful to agree boundaries at the start of the day. You could ask your partner, “What’s your plan for the day? Once you’ve agreed how you’ll set out the day, respect what you’ve agreed to.
2. Mutual support
During these stressful times, you may be experiencing a range of feelings, which could impact how we respond to each other. You might find that you’re snapping more than usual or your patience is thin. Communicate openly with your partner and give each other the opportunity to talk about any issues affecting the relationship or about your feelings and concerns. Importantly, take turns being the speaker and the listener. When being the speaker, try to be kind when explaining how you’re feeling, using lots of ‘I’ statements to denote how you feel rather than how your partner is behaving.
When being the listener, actively listen and let your partner tell the whole story, rather than jumping in with solutions too quickly. Be empathetic in your responses and try to understand their point of view. Come up with solutions together and accept that compromises may have to be made on both fronts.
3. Connect with friends and family
Don’t forget about staying connected with others. Have catch ups with friends, call a family member you haven’t seen in a while or have a trivia night. With so many options to catch up in person or online, we can still stay in touch with our social circle.
4. Focus on your wellbeing
Looking after your health and wellbeing is an important part of keeping your relationships healthy. If you recognise that you’re not feeling yourself or your partner may be struggling, it’s important to get help quickly. This could be speaking to a friend, contacting your GP or booking a counselling session.
5. Make memories
This is a great time to make memories and have fun with our partners. Here are a few ideas to consider:
- Get dressed up, order take away or cook a meal together
- Create a games night you can both enjoy
- Pick something to paint or make together
- Try some form of exercise together, even if it’s just going for a walk each day
- Create a treasure hunt
- Create a home spa and pamper each other
- Watch your favourite childhood movie
- Learn a new skill or language.
6. Have some you time
Taking time for you can be a helpful strategy. Whether it’s going for a walk, reading a book, speaking to a friend or just having quiet time, it’s important to ensure you have space from each other.
Use this time as an opportunity to reset.
Communicate with your partner about the changes you’d like to see in your relationship and what new routines you’d like to put in place. Use this time to work together to start planning your “new normal.”
