For those following our blog, you likely have wondered where we went and whether we would be writing any more articles or not. We are still here! Yes, we are continuing this blog!
Like the rest of you, we are learning what our new normal looks like with the ever changing atmosphere in our society and culture. We have been learning to adapt to the new realities and the new stresses created by the stay at home orders in most places as well as the new ways in which businesses operate and the requirements to patronize those places. Whether that requires changes on our part due to new hours, or due to requirements of wearing a mask and the challenges that each change requires.
With all of the limitations on “normal” life we have found ourselves and our children facing restlessness and frustration. We have been facing new stressors in our lives and some of the ways we used to deal with stress are not as easily accomplished. We cannot simply go out to a restaurant for a normal date night, or to many of the entertainment venues that we would have available to us in the past. It has become more difficult to regularly go out on a date night together, and we have been spending a significantly larger amount of time in the same house than we used to.
If you are like us, you are facing these same challenges and they are likely placing a strain on your relationship with your spouse, and possibly your children as well. Don’t give up! There is hope!
It is possible to have a healthy relationship while in a pandemic!
It does, however, require you to make intentional efforts towards your relationship that you might not have been doing before. Things like our other posts talk about. Specifically, we are finding we have to make intentional time to talk about what is going on in our heads with emotions and desires…sometimes when the other person is around the entire time we assume they are aware, but they do not process the same as you. Their emotions are likely going to be different than your own. We also find it can require more intentionality with intimacy…physically and emotionally. It is easy for many days to pass with the busyness of life and to not realize you haven’t spent time connecting with your spouse. Make the time to stay connected.
Find new ways to destress together in healthy ways. I am not going to propose that I have the answers to what that looks like for you, but I can share what we have been doing. Amidst the chaos, we chose to make some changes in our lives during this pandemic. We made some changes together to our diet and began working out at the same time on specific days of the week. This hasn’t been an easy task, but it has created something new that we do together, and doing it together helps motivate both of us to continue…it is something new that we can also discuss together as we see results or plan out goals and how we will hit them.
Take some time to sit down and find at least one thing that the two of you can begin doing regularly together. It could be something you used to do and stopped, or it could be something entirely new…but choose to do something moving forward that will build more connection and togetherness in your relationship.
In the comments, we would love to hear what you are doing together to help strengthen your relationship while in this pandemic.
