10 Couples Share How The Ongoing Pandemic Is Impacting Their Relationships, For Better & For Worse
After months of sheltering-in-place as most countries continue to battle an ongoing public health crisis, COVID-19 has proven to be more than just a threat to one’s physical health.
Be it mental health, sobriety, or romantic relationships, the pandemic has impacted nearly every aspect of daily life. Single people thrust into quarantine immediately found it nearly impossible to continue dating when they weren’t able to touch, kiss, or even see their love interest face-to-face.
Couples who had just started dating were put into an awkward position of either moving in together sooner than later or spending more time apart. And many of those in serious relationships were suddenly spending all of their time with or around their partner.
At the beginning of the pandemic, the internet was full of memes that basically said relationships were either going to thrive or suffer — there was no in-between — and it was a bit nerve-wracking.
But the ways in which this pandemic has altered people’s relationships are far more complex than that. Woman’s Day spoke to some real couples from across the country, to gain a better understanding of how romantic partners are navigating this pandemic together… and, in some instances, apart. And while some couples did indeed struggle, others found a silver lining to hold onto amidst the chaos and uncertainty.
Below are their responses…
The pandemic has been terrifying, and for some, has served as a reminder to go after what you want while you can. This was the case for Ashley Leonard, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She tells Woman’s Day:
“My boyfriend (now fiancé) and I got engaged during the pandemic. It made us realize life is way too short to wait for that grandiose proposal, and we very much enjoyed our quarantine together. We are very lucky that it brought us closer together! I cherished that time.”
“The pandemic broke us up. I was long-distance with my now-ex for four years. Right before COVID, we finally picked out a place to rent together,” North Carolina native Madison tells Woman’s Day.
“Then he lost his job. The stress, uncertainty, and distance were just too much.” It’s a story that a lot of other long-distance couples are likely familiar with.
“It has provided an opportunity for my boyfriend and me to delve deeper into our relationship, and because of that, I think it has made our relationship stronger,” Kuryn, from Florida, tells Woman’s Day.
“When we both switched to working using a digital platform, we were together 24/7. As a business owner, he got to see the really vulnerable parts of me.”
Kuryn and her boyfriend also both ended up contracting COVID-19, which “really worked numbers on our relationship,” she says. “It’s hard when you’re dating because you haven’t made that ‘in sickness and in health’ vow, so battling the sickness together can really determine a lot in a relationship!” Although it was challenging for the couple, they got through it and came out stronger.
Relocating and moving in with your partner for the first time can be a big deal under “normal” circumstances, and the era of COVID-19 is anything but normal. For Melissa Jennings of New York, things ended up working out, though.
“My boyfriend and I made a huge move to New York City in January this year (great timing), and moved into our lovely 400 square foot apartment… only to be on lockdown a month later,” she tells Woman’s Day.
“You would think our relationship would take a toll, but this has all just solidified our feelings for each other. I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. Moral of the story: this has brought us so much closer. I got to put together super cute tiny apartment date nights!”
While some couples got closer together during lockdowns, others realized maybe they weren’t the right fit after all. Emily* of New Jersey tells Woman’s Day that she and her partner broke up because of the pandemic.
“The time apart allowed me to really evaluate the relationship, my feelings, and how I was being treated, and I saw more clearly through what I had been blinded by,” she says.
While ending things was no doubt really difficult, it ended up being a good thing.
“The breakup was definitely sad and it took a toll on me,” she explains. “But looking back now, I’m very grateful I stood up for myself, found my strength during an extremely difficult time, and that things panned out the way they did.”
SEE ALSO: COVID-19: Experts Highlight How The Lockdown Order Can Heal Ailing Marriages
Joanna Emmett and her husband, from London, England, got married only a few months before the pandemic hit and they were both working from home together during the lockdown.
This has certainly been a wild way to test a newlywed’s dedication to each other, but for these two, it worked out. “Amidst all the horrible sadness in the news, it has been genuinely pleased to get to spend so much time together,” Emmett tells Woman’s Day.
