From verywellmind.com

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Along with every other challenge we’ve faced over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has put our love lives to the test. People have been cooped up with their partners for months on end, shining a spotlight on both the strengths and weaknesses of their relationships. Meanwhile, single folks have been forced to choose between navigating the murky waters of dating during the time of the coronavirus, or riding it out on their own.

Valentine’s Day is putting these issues into even sharper focus for many people. To understand how people are approaching the season of romance this year, Verywell Mind surveyed more than 1,200 readers about dating and cohabitating during the pandemic.

The results showed that nearly two-thirds of respondents weren’t sure if they were celebrating Valentine’s Day this year or already decided to skip it. They also had plenty of other strong feelings about how the pandemic has impacted their relationships.

Living With Your Partner During the Pandemic

For 46% of respondents—who were primarily white, women, at least 55 years old, and married—the pandemic hasn’t changed much about their relationships. In fact, it has improved the relationships for 27% of respondents.

“Some couples are actually finding that the pandemic has made them closer,” says Amy Morin, LCSW, the editor-in-chief of Verywell Mind. “The pandemic may help them spend more time together, which could be an opportunity to get to know one another better. Some couples might be learning new things about each other as they work from home. They may see a professional side to their partner that they’ve never seen before.”

This has been especially true for Dan and Jane, a married couple in their 30s, who requested their last names not be used for this article. They say that it’s been a positive experience to “exist in our own little world, just the two of us.”

“We’ve been able to establish new routines and new little traditions, like taking a walk every day and making and eating lunch together,” says Dan. “We haven’t run into conflicts while working from home in close quarters together, and we both still have our jobs, so money issues haven’t created any conflicts, thankfully. We also don’t have children, so we haven’t had that added stress.”

But while many couples have thrived, just as many have struggled, with 27% of respondents reporting that the pandemic has made their relationship worse.

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Read more at verywellmind.com