This year put a lot of relationships to the test. With lockdown making people stay at home, couples who lived together had to spend a lot more time with one another than they were used to.
On one hand, they had extra quality time they would never get otherwise. On the other, it created a lot of space for arguments. F Hinds explored how love conquered lockdown.
Arguments
The jewellery chain asked 2,000 couples – who had been together a variety of time – how they had fared over the past few months. 75% of couples admitted to having one major argument a week during lockdown. The top reason for arguing was about tidying the house, closely followed by cleaning and food shopping. How long the couples have been together also played a factor. You may think the honeymoon period would work in people’s favour, but couples who had been dating for a couple of months had the highest number of fallouts. Whereas those who had been together between 1 -5 years fared much better.
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Location, Location
The survey also showed the location had an impact on couples. Birmingham had the highest average of six arguments a week, whereas Belfast had one. However, not many couples got a choice with where they would spend lockdown. If anything, picking where to live also proved a point of contention. Some couples had to move in together to stick with the rules, and others chose to go to long-distance despite being in the same city. Whatever situation they were facing, people wanted to do their best to make it work with their partner.
Love Languages
All of this begs the question: what’s the best way to resolve an argument? There is no answer that could apply to each and every couple. It depends entirely on the relationship, and what each individual is like. However, do not underestimate the importance of love languages. Did you know there are five of them? They don’t all involve words, but also actions and spending time together.
Receiving Gifts
One of the five languages is receiving gifts. This doesn’t mean the person expects to be showered in gifts every day. It’s more so about the thought that goes into the present. For instance, they like to get their partner coffee’s order and know it by heart – they would like this reciprocated. F Hinds came up with relationship milestones for couples to give each other gifts when they’re going through hard times. They can celebrate the small things together. It’s healthy for you and your partner to argue, you’re not alone in doing so. Communication is a vital key in relationships so remember to express yourselves in a healthy way. How did you and your partner survive lockdown?
