The coronavirus outbreak is dramatically changing our lives, including our relationships with other people in our communities, our families, our homes and our workplaces. Many of us have lost some or all of our normal ways of seeing others, as we try to keep each other safe. Some of us have also found ourselves spending far more time than we’re used to with those who share our homes, whether family, housemates or both – not to mention pets.
Both losing normal contact with people and being thrown into much closer contact than usual can feel stressful and it may be worrying, frightening or even unbearable.
Five quick tips for nurturing healthy relationships:
Many tips about how to maintain good relationships are as relevant and important now as they were before coronavirus. For instance, all five of the Mental Health Foundation’s top tips for nurturing healthy relationships are as important now as before:
1. Give time – put more time aside to connect with your friends and family.
2. Be present – this means really paying attention to the other people in your life and trying not to be distracted by your phone, or your work, or other interests.
3. Listen – really listen to what others are saying and try to understand it and to focus on their needs in that moment.
4. Let yourself be listened to – honestly share how you are feeling, and allow yourself to be heard and supported by others.
5. Recognise unhealthy relationships – harmful relationships can make us unhappy.
Recognising this can help us to move forward and find solutions.
During this strange and difficult time, it is also worth considering additional ways to protect our relationships, and try to cope a bit better with some of the relationship problems living through a pandemic can create. We will explore some of these and discuss this topic in more detail during the ‘Nurturing Relationships in Lockdown’ webinar on Tuesday 9th February 2021 at 12pm.
You can register to join the webinar at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4400449356616203792
If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.
If you feel you may need some support, you can also contact Care first. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number
provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.