During these times of COVID-19, it’s not hard for conversations to get a little boring between you and your partner.
Before the pandemic, in the evening, it was easier to ask about their day. That’s because you both spent eight hours apart from each other. If you’re like many couples, though, you’re together all the time now.
You know what your partner is doing and vice versa because you are both in the same space. So, for couples who relied on the traditional, “How was your day?” question to spark discussions, it might be difficult to have any meaningful conversations.
Even amid the pandemic’s challenges, it is possible to have meaningful conversations and create fun times for both of you. Let’s talk about how to make it happen for you.
Understanding Meaningful Conversations
Let’s consider what makes a meaningful conversation in the first place. It starts with being genuine with one another, which means having discussions that are real and connected to what you hold dear.
The example of “How was your day?” is honestly just a status update. You accomplished these tasks or completed those assignments. Maybe you talk about interactions that you each had a work. But these are not value-based conversations.
But go deeper. Try to take a moment to reflect on what you value most and what you would want to share with your partner.
Include Your Partner in the Conversation
Next, have conversations focusing on the “us” versus “me.” Yes, there are times when you want and should talk about yourself, specifically, how certain things affect you and have an impact on you.
However, when having meaningful conversations with your partner, include topics that encompass both of you. AA great example is daydreaming about a trip that both of you want to take after COVID-19 restrictions. Yes, there is some fantasizing involved, but that can be fun too!
Create a Fun Time With a Question Jar
Using a question jar is a fun activity that both of you can do together. Set aside a jar, and during the day, you each write down questions to answer on slips of paper. Drop the notes into the jar. Then, you each establish a time to sit down together and answer the questions.
Try to make them questions that both of you can answer. Also, mix it up and include some serious questions and silly ones too. Maybe have a dare question where you each challenge the other to a funny task. The idea is to laugh together but also be reflective and thoughtful too.
When It’s Time for Couples Counseling
There are plenty of opportunities during this time of COVID-19, where couples can better understand one another. However, this era is also a stressful and anxious time. Being together in close quarters for so long can have its adverse effects, too.
You might be noticing that your partner is drawing away from you. Or, dinner conversations are flat and not that very interesting. Perhaps you argued the other night over something trivial, but it soon became a “great divide” between you.
Regardless, if you are struggling to have meaningful and healthy conversations with your partner, it’s a good idea to seek out couples counseling. Counseling can help light that spark again. Plus, it can dig down to the roots of why things have gone flat in your relationship.
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As frustrating as COVID-19 is, it’s still an opportunity to develop a more in-depth and closer relationship with your partner through meaningful conversations. It is also a chance to create fun times for each other in ways neither of you would have thought of before.
However, if you are having trouble with engaging in meaningful conversations with one another, please reach out to me today or visit my couples counseling page to learn more about how I can help.