How the Pandemic Will Improve Relationships
With social distancing guidelines in place, finding intimacy has become a little more complicated for everyone. Single people must now wear masks during first dates, while couples stuck at home together are forced to lift metaphorical masks and reveal their truest selves.
Despite these inconveniences, quarantine might still be the best thing to happen to all of our love lives. Time alone, either with ourselves or our partners, has caused us to become more reflective and self-aware. This allows us to take a closer look at ourselves and our romantic needs, without the hefty price of a therapy session.
Focusing on yourself
This is the best time to focus on yourself, what you want, and, most importantly, what you deserve. Without the blaring music of a club, or that friend who maybe shouldn’t be doling out advice, you finally have the distraction-less environment to follow your instincts. Focusing on yourself is one of the first steps to entering a healthy relationship.
Practicing honesty
If you’re in a relationship, you might have discovered already that solitary time with your partner can uncover previously hidden truths. Maybe your partner is seeing you dressed down and without makeup for the first time, or perhaps the two of you have finally found the time to have critical conversations you've avoided in the past.
Either way, the pandemic has shown us that it can both bring couples together and drive them apart, as the recent trend of “Covidivorces” has demonstrated. Quarantine has made it mandatory to be yourself, and we think that’s a good thing.
Slowing down and re-exploring courtship
With social distancing guidelines in place, both singles and couples can take the opportunity to re-explore courtship. Coronavirus has slowed things down and transformed the dating scene back to a pre-hookup culture era, when we got to know someone as a person before we got to know their body.
Consider the love letters your grandparents might've written to each other. Conversations create lasting bonds and ensure that the other person is attracted to you for who you really are.
There doesn’t always have to be a fiery spark when a new relationship is blossoming — sometimes it's ok to let that romance develop in a slow burn, which means there’s a better chance of something developing into a long-term relationship. Whatever happened to wooing?
Pursuing connection beyond physical chemistry
Whether it’s to a temporary fling or a spouse of many years, revealing your deepest thoughts and vulnerabilities to a partner can be just as intimate as physical chemistry - kissing or exploring each other in bed. This established openness and trust are the pillars of a sturdy relationship.
This time lets us clear away all the excess noise and artificial facades. It allows us to take a beat to think about what really matters, which is something we’ve all desperately needed in the bustle of daily life.