Woman Offers Advice To People Who Are Staying At Home With Their Spouse During The Coronavirus Quarantine

Even though social distancing is highly advised during these difficult times and people choose to stay home with their loved ones, staying behind locked doors with your significant other 24/7 may not be as idyllic as it may seem from the first glance. Turns out, many couples who are not used to spending so much of their time together are having quite a hard time being confined in a small space together with their partners. Adding up to the stress of the potential illness and unstable situation of the whole world probably doesn’t help in keeping a peaceful mind as well.

However, digital illustrator and creative development manager Christine Knopp has 6+ years’ worth of experience in how to manage working from home together with your SO and didn’t hesitate to share it on Twitter.

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Maintaining a healthy relationship during the quarantine might not be an easy task for everyone since some of us are just not used to being around people 24/7 and cherish our alone time. But no worries, people with more experience on that will help to get you through. While Christine Knopp offered excellent advice based on her own experience in her tweets, we have some more professional advice from Pepper Schwartz, a psychology professor at the University of Washington, as well.

“Scary times have the potential to drive people together or apart,” she says. But not all is lost as she adds that we may find "a new appreciation for having someone to face a scary future with".

“If people are stressed out, there are likely to be arguments,” says Daniel Kruger, a social and evolutionary psychologist at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, adding to Schwartz's point that dramatic times tend to heighten emotions and outcomes. He advises to avoid sensitive topics: “Don’t talk about politics or religion with your family” is especially worth adhering to during stressful quarantine times. It’s generally good to avoid talking about issues where people know there’s going to be fault lines and contentions,” Kruger says.

He also believes we can take this time and make our relationships stronger than ever. “People get to know each other better and may appreciate these experiences," he says and if that's not encouraging, we don't know what could be.