A lot of people may be feeling the quarantine strain, maybe bickering more with your significant other because you're spending so much time together.
Dr. Randy Kamen, a psychologist and author, says you have to protect that alone time.
“There is a sacred space that resides in all of us that we need to honor,” said Dr. Kamen. “Need to honor alone time so we don’t feel like we're choking or suffocating.”
Other issues in the household, like those related to jobs loss, can further strain relationships right now.
But Dr. Kamen says that could also be an opportunity to re-divide the household duties. That can alleviate stress on the working person and allows the non-working partner to bring new value to the relationship.
No matter the stress, one of the most important things to pay attention to is how you talk to each other.
“There are rules of communication, that when one person is speaking, as long as they are being kind and clear in their message, that the other person gets to listen respectively and taking turns in the relationship,” said Dr. Kamen.
For those struggling in relationships, Dr. Kamen says there's no better time to start virtual counseling, coaching or therapy.
“What a great time to get to those things, not just cleaning out closets, cleaning out your head and getting connected with your partner, rediscovering why did I fall in love with this person,” said Dr. Kamen.
Dr. Kamen also mentioned while the pandemic has created some relationship issues, there are others finding ways to bond, developing healthy habits together like evening walks, cooking and other hobbies.
