Why Lockdown Could Mean Make Or Break For Your Relationship
Lockdown has made many of us reassess our priorities and revise our plans for the future. But what happens if your new outlook on life is different from your partner’s?
This unprecedented period of spending 24/7 together — or conducting a relationship through a screen — could mean make or break for many couples, relationship therapists say.
“There will be more weddings as well as more divorces when the world around us slowly gets back to normal,” said couples therapist Lucy Fuller.
Some couples may be enjoying increased intimacy, said Fuller, finding themselves in a “lockdown love bubble”.
“If people have decided to be in lockdown together when they usually live separately, this may well have accelerated the relationship and many couples will be moving permanently in together with confidence, without the more normal period of weighing the advantages and disadvantages,” she said.
And if you and your partner realize you have very similar outlooks during lockdown and feel like a united team who can support one another through hard times, it could be the making of the relationship.
However, the experience may be the opposite for others. A recent poll from UK relationship counseling site Relate found that 23% of UK adults in relationships are experiencing relationship pressures during lockdown. Relate counselor Dee Holmes said the pandemic has given many people the time to re-evaluate life — including their relationships.
“Some have realized they want a simpler life and appreciate the smaller things more,” she said. “Some partners may be reassessing things and find their partners reassess life differently.”
Little issues present in the relationship pre-lockdown have likely been magnified due to the intensity of the situation. “There has been no escape and no friends and family to dilute the intensity of the relationship, so inevitably the less favorable aspects of your partner will shine through,” Fuller...
