E-Paper
Relationships bloomed and doomed during Covid pandemic
The restrictions imposed by the authorities after the Covid outbreak have impacted the emotional well-being of many as their day-to-day activities were disrupted and were forced to live in confined spaces
The restrictions imposed by the authorities after the Covid outbreak have impacted the emotional well-being of many as their day-to-day activities were disrupted and were forced to live in confined spaces. With the Valentine’s Day (February 14) approaching, counsellors, life coaches and private detective agencies share their experiences of dealing with the private lives of their clients and the relationship issues they faced.
Kavita Hans, life coach and human resource development professional said, “Relationships were experiencing the burnout phase before the pandemic with chronic long working hours, meeting professional goals and other aspects of workplace responsibilities leaving less time for the family. The lockdown played a dominant role in building relationships as it gave families an opportunity to spend time together and share their feelings with each other.”
“Each relationship has its boundaries and when one of the partners is very demanding, he/she may enter the boundary of his partner creating suffocation and frustration. Relationships have seen a beautiful as well as tough time situation during the pandemic. Couples who were struggling before pandemic due to incompatibility or infidelity went through a very difficult phase after the Covid outbreak. They are now dealing with an unexpected situation of facing quarrel, domestic abuse, and eagerly waiting for divorce. As we all are facing uncertainty in life, the stress in relationships becomes further hard to cope with. Hence, it’s worth to be extra patient and understanding as a couple and as an individual during this crucial time,” she said.
Private detectives have admitted to seeing a rise in clients post relaxations in Covid restrictions. “Till May 2020, there was not much work for us because of the lockdown. Cases related to married couples and people in relationship started coming post the unlock process. With the social media now becoming a major factor in relationships, I am getting cases of lack of trust between couples and many are approaching us to check on their partner as most of the time is now spend online. We have found that relationship between couples strengthen when they find truth and trustworthiness in their partner.”
Sharing her experience, Kalpana (name changed) said, “My relationship has strengthened post lockdown period as I never thought my husband will help me in home chores. I have seen the true person in him in these difficult times.” Anuj (name changed) said, “I used to often fight with my spouse, a working professional, as she sought my assistance in looking after kids and home. With work from home being the new normal after the lockdown, we got an opportunity to interact with my kids closely and I realised the vast role that my spouse played in managing work, home and kids.”
Manoj Khandre, a relationship counsellor, said, “Last year was an emotional roller coaster for all of us we got closer to our family members due to the Covid-19 pandemic followed by countrywide lockdown. While it bonded relationships, in some cases it also led to marital discord. I have handled more than 25 cases related to relationship issues since last May when the unlock process started.”
