For some couples, the circumstances of the past year have increased their connection and ignited a deeper sense of love and appreciation for one another. For other couples, the stressors associated with COVID-19 – unemployment, isolation, illness, and grief - have generated tension and added strain to their relationship with their partner.
As a marriage and family therapist with over twenty-five years of experience in my own practice, as well as numerous years of personal experience, join me in this article series for five practical ways to build resilience in your relationship.
-----
According to a 2016 Pew Research Center survey, more than half of couples in the United States reported that sharing household chores is “very important” to a successful relationship.
The Pew Research Center also indicated that sharing responsibilities ranks as the third highest issue in successful marriages, behind faithfulness and sexual intimacy.
Sharing responsibilities with your partner creates a sense of teamwork in your relationship.
It is important to recognize and discuss the unspoken expectations created by your parents’ examples throughout your childhoods. By understanding each other’s familial backgrounds, you can avoid assumptions and conflicts regarding the division of labor in your own household.
You may each have to release control and compromise on different tasks so that the overwhelming burden isn’t falling on one individual in the relationship.
Sharing responsibilities with your significant other prevents resentment from eroding the strong foundation of your relationship.