As the COVID-19 Pandemic continues to leave an imprint on our living and lifestyle with no indication of how long it may last or whether to some extent, it remains as a work in progress to monitor and adjust until there is either a cure or it phases out.
It follows, that our relationships can become a bit stretched.
This then is exacerbated when restrictions threaten, or in fact, interrupt our freedom to operate on numerous levels. These can include and are not limited to:
- operating a business
- bringing in an income
- paying mortgages, school fees etc
- planning key events such as weddings and/or important milestones
- travelling to celebrate the arrival of a newborn
- planning holidays interstate or overseas
- visiting the sick, comforting and caring for the aging or the infirmed
- planning for or attending a funeral to farewell a loved one
The toll can feel more like a ‘disconnect’ from those we love rather than the close bond we desire and need in good times as well as bad.
Rather than to reach out and share our feelings the tendency can be to suppress our frustrations, our concerns, withdrawing into ourselves, battening down the hatches and appearing moody or grumpy.
Conversely an overload can lead to an overflow of emotions and feelings onto those we love most. When the emphasis is shifted onto staying connected and focussing on what we already have in common we can refresh and strengthen our relationships.
It’s a better place to come from because it’s about reflecting on the things that brought us together and how important and valuable these reasons remain to both of us – far healthier than resorting to our separate frustrations, which have the tendency to drive us further apart.
This accumulated wisdom we share between us, possibly not accessed in a while, can help us plan how we deal with the difficult issues we encounter working in synchrony, in harmony.