Coping in close quarters has become the new normal for some couples confined to their living spaces as many are forced to work from home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
But there are some ways to keep your marriage or relationship healthy while dealing with these social changes.
Lauren and William Green have been together for almost eight years and revealed what they do to make their marriage work while working from home.
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“Patience and compromise. I think that’s the key to any marriage,” William Green said.
The mortgage lenders are used to being around each other, but now they are working remotely, with less personal space within the walls of their Miami-Dade home.
“Try to keep work during work and then home life as normal as it can be right now,” Lauren Oliver Green said.
The co-working couple also tries to take breaks, have set a schedule and have designated areas for getting tasks done.
“We have a work station set up where we can work together, but we also have a desk where he can do his conference calls or his video chats if necessary," Lauren said.
The couple also says they try to stick to work hours, and they also regularly check up on each other and ask how the other is doing.
Licensed marriage and family therapist Jason Wasser had the following tips on how couples can stay sane during all this newfound togetherness at home:
- Take the time for self-care
- Be as patient as possible
- Create a connection schedule with your loved one or partner
- Focus on communication
”Whatever is going on right now, the person sitting next to you is not the person who is at fault for all of this," Wasser said. "I know that some of us are cooped up in an apartment or house, and the space you might be in might be really small and you’re gonna get annoyed with each other, but please try to remember that the person next to you is not the enemy and really be gentle and patient with them."
