Sustaining relationships in the time of isolation – Tara Aisida

The whole world is presently on lockdown as several countries have closed their borders and mandated their citizens to stay in their homes in a bid to contain the corona-virus. The lockdown is happening on a scale never before seen and the frightening aspect of it is that no one can predict for certain when it will be over as current events seem to suggest the possibility that it may be extended beyond the initial periods anticipated. 

The fact that we are locked up is an issue but added to the external turmoil are the uncertainties, fear and panic that come with the situation at hand. There is no doubt that our world is changing before our eyes and the fact is that, the world we will walk into when we leave our homes, will not the world we left. Life will change dramatically and drastically for some of us as we come to terms with the loss of family members, friends, investments, money and jobs. 

There is no doubt that our relationships will change as a result of the amount of time being spent as it will bring lots of stuff to the fore, cause us much introspection and force us to take a good look at our relationships. 

We are beginning to find many couples criticizing each other about small things, holding each other in contempt for their weaknesses and in general magnifying faults that could have otherwise been overlooked. 

We have all seen those videos where people are beginning to speak out about the “excessive” behaviour of their partners or children – of women running out of their rooms complaining of their husband’s incessant demands for sex and their inability to cope, of women tearfully seeking refuge in their cars because of the pressure of having to be home 24/7 with their school-age kids, of children throwing tantrums because they cannot go out to play or eat out, of men discovering that their wives are not the good cooks or homemakers they thought them to be etc. 

The first thing to understand is that isolation is not a bad thing. It’s noteworthy to state that isolation or being alone is not the same as being lonely. It is very possible to be with a group of people or even in a relationship and still find ourselves very lonely. Also, know that our relationships can benefit from this isolation process if we are careful to understand and take what it offers us out of it. 

Benefits of isolation:

Tips to follow during this time of isolation. 

May we all find meaning in our relationships when this is all over. 

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