Successful Relationships Reading Corner

This week, we wrote about the increasing importance of relationships a year into the pandemic. Here are some stats and stories about how people are dealing with the situation.

The secrets of couples thriving right now in the pandemic “Before the pandemic, S. Nicole Lane said that much of her time with her boyfriend was spent going out, dancing and drinking. ‘We both work pretty demanding jobs, so our days off were spent in a whirlwind,’ she said. ‘I think many of our fights and arguments were fueled by alcohol.’ During pandemic lockdown earlier this year, the Chicago couple started hiking together, often covering as many as 20 miles in a single day on the trails. ‘I don’t think we went into hiking saying, ‘This will help our relationship,’ but it’s really brought us a lot closer and more comfortable with one another,’ she said.”

Pandemic can bring out the worst, and the best, in relationships “Throughout 2020, headlines and studies make dual claims — some indicate divorce rates are up as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and other show divorce rates have declined…. The most recent evidence suggests there may have been an early spike in divorces in 2020 — and an anticipation of a spike — but divorce rates may have actually declined over the course of the past year.”

Coronavirus: Tips for a happy relationship — even during lockdown “Having a good relationship is no piece of cake even in normal times. Lockdown doesn’t make it any easier, with its psychological stress and restrictions on social contacts. So how can relationships still thrive?”

Tell your friends!