Being stuck in the house with the person you love sounds kind of great—at first. You envision yourselves sleeping in and having movie nights and romantic homemade dinners. But, as you’ve probably already realized after being quarantined together for a few months, too much time in the house can start to drive you a little crazy.
Don’t worry! Everyone is going through the same thing, right now, and we have some helpful tips on how to avoid bickering when you’re stuck in the house all day with nowhere else to go. It’s important to still have alone time (if you’re not really alone), but it’s also important today to do new things in the house and foster your relationship. Try some of these ideas if you’re getting a bit tired of doing the same thing every day with each other.
Create Designated Spaces to Be Alone
Depending on where you live, it can be tough to have your own space in a shared house, especially as a couple, because you even share the same bedroom. Before quarantine began, you both probably had plenty of alone time—maybe at work during the day or sometimes in the evenings if you had a girl’s night or you went to the bar with the boys. For right now, those kinds of activities aren’t an option, which means you need to find new ways to be alone.
Pick a place in the house where you find it easy to relax and do something by yourself like read a book, listen to a podcast, or work on an art project. Having these separate spaces will prevent you from feeling a bit suffocated by the other person’s presence.
Start a Project Together
Alone time is absolutely necessary if you both want to keep your sanity during quarantine, but spending time together is, of course, important too. One of the ways that you can keep your relationship healthy and fun while stuck inside is to try different things together.
After two months of being stuck in the house, you’re probably also stuck in your routine. Switch it up! Start a new activity together—maybe a home improvement project, a new craft, or even a skill like cooking. Keeping things fresh will also keep your relationship fresh.
Create a Chore Schedule
We’re going to venture a guess that one of the points of contention within your home right now might have something to do with cleaning. You probably had a standard cleaning routine pre-corona, but, now that you’re home all the time, common spaces are getting messier quicker.
If you’re anything like us and the rest of the world, you’ve been cooking, eating, and snacking constantly. Hello, messy kitchen! To help keep the house in order and prevent any frustration over the delegation of everyday chores, create a schedule. Pick specific days that one person cooks and the other person cleans.
You can even make a full-out chore chart that illustrates who’s responsible for what and when each task needs to be done. It may sound a bit juvenile, but it works. And, it helps avoid any “he said, she said” kind of arguments about who was supposed to vacuum the living room. Or scoop the litter box. Whatever it may be.
Host a Virtual Happy Hour with Your Friends
Sometimes you need to just communicate with other people to remember what it’s like to be social. Virtual happy hours have been one of the most popular ways that people are staying in touch during quarantine. It’s a great excuse to have a drink, talk to your friends, and rock your favorite gold chains with a cool outfit.
We know you’ve been in nothing but pajamas and sweatpants for weeks, so it’s nice to have an excuse to get dressed up. It can help you feel refreshed and, also, as if you’re going out to an actual social event. If you and your significant other have a lot of friends in common, you can host a virtual happy hour together, or you can each plan your own separate happy hours with your respective friends and have the chance to socialize.
Try a New Game
Just like the rest of us, you’ve probably been playing a lot of games while stuck in the house. What else is there to do besides watch TV, read, and play games? Actually, we can think of quite a few things, but games are so entertaining. And, they allow for a healthy dose of competition. The list of fun games is nearly endless, so why not search the web for the newest, hottest game and test it out? Games of skill can sharpen your logic, while games revolving around humor may just lead to the development of a whole new set of inside jokes between you two.
Cook a Meal Together
You’ve probably already gotten bitten by the culinary bug during quarantine. Something about being stuck in the house seems to ignite a desire in us to learn how to make bread or whip up some homemade pasta. Why not? You’ve got nothing but time on your hands.
If you haven’t tried making a meal together, though, this is a great way to strengthen your relationship and learn a new skill. Pick a meal that you’re both interested in. Then, give each other designated jobs for prepping and cooking the food. Once it’s done, get dolled up and show off your best gold chains with a classy outfit and turn it into a romantic dinner date at home.
Beat the Quarantine Crazies
You’re not alone—we’re all starting to feel the effects of being trapped inside for weeks. But, if you’re starting to feel like you and your partner are driving each other a bit crazy after spending so much time together, it’s a good idea to try some of these activities that will bring you closer together and also give you time on your own. Learning a new skill or doing a new activity together will stimulate your brain (and break you away from Netflix for a little while) and deepen your relationship.
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