Coronavirus put relationships to the test
Working, playing, and staying at home proves tough on families and couples - NBC's Chris Pollone reports
(NBC News) For millions of Americans, the COVID-19 era ushered in another unexpected time: Being at home with spouses, significant others and children all day, every day.
It's been enough to put even the strongest relationships to the test.
The networking app Fishbowl asked more than 16,000 professionals "How has working from home affected your romantic relationship?" and the results were pretty interesting:
29% said work from home had a positive impact on their relationship.
17% said it strained it.
7% said it lead to a breakup or a divorce.
"We were happy and enthusiastic and happy to see that 29% actually had a positive impact on the relationship," says Fishbowl CEO Matt Sunbulli.
Psychologist Dr. Ann Sullivan says for couples that didn't make it, stay-at-home revealed mismatched values, but for the others, communication might be the key to staying together.
"I think we need to be able to communicate about what we need," Dr. Sullivan says.
That might mean asking for time to be alone, or for a date night without the kids.
Sullivan says try to focus on things which make you grateful instead of the uncertainty caused by the global pandemic, and realize that everyone is handling this in their own way.
