Covid Awareness

DYNAMICS OF RELATIONSHIPS DURING COVID-19

The global pandemic has affected our relationships with our loved ones in ways that may be unimaginable. India was the first country to implement a nationwide lockdown. Many people got stuck in places away from their homes while, others were lucky enough to be with their loved ones.

As the nation stood still, with roads empty, nature reviving, and people locked up in their homes scared, emotional support was what helped us get through these tough times. Imagine the plight of the people who got stuck in their apartments away from their homes, without any physical contact and remaining in complete isolation for nearly months. Thanks to technology, they were able to contact and have video calls with their family and friends. This kind of isolation took a toll on their mental health.

But the people living alone were not only the ones who faced mental health issues. People living with their families also had various issues of their own. From dealing with anger and frustration, to the feelings of purposelessness, mental health issues have risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. As all the dynamics changed, it gave upsurge to the concept of Work From Home and online education. With these variations, what also changed in our day to day lives were our relationships. Many effects were seen to have taken course during the course of the pandemic.

Diminished boundaries and privacy

India adheres to a collectivist culture and having ensnared boundaries, the youth of the country is finding it difficult to maintain their privacy when families are living together in quarantine. There is decreased independence in comparison to what adults or youngsters had when they were living alone or with their friends when in college or at work.

In addition to this, not everyone is lucky enough to have their separate rooms when back home. Some might be stuck in a two-bedroom hall or in a joint family where 12 to 14 people are living in one house. It has been tough for people to concentrate and do their work effectively. Most affected by this situation would be the students who might have pending or any upcoming exams for colleges or entrances.

With increased interference, youngsters are facing many mental health issues during this lockdown.

Difference of opinions

With offices, schools, and businesses being shut down and family members spending most of their time at home, there are increased differences in opinions between husband-wife and parents-children relationships. These increased alterations in opinions from one another are creating greater difficulties and hence are turning into fights. As was seen in the news, due to this quarantine, there was an increase in the number of divorce cases in western countries.

Exposure to technology

The lockdown has led to increased data consumption all over the with the changing nature of work and everything shifting online. This has also harmed the relationships. Due to increased differences in opinions and nothing new to talk about, all of us use online sources as an escape from all circumstances that we did not want to confront within our immediate environment.

Not only the adults but children as young as the age of 2 or 3 were exposed to online platforms like YouTube or online games. As a result of schools and playgrounds being shut, children had so much time that they resorted to online platforms. With parents always using mobile phones or laptops, children had no one to restrict them from using mobiles and switching their real-life playing to a virtual mode.

Silver Lining

Although this lockdown had various negative impacts on our mental health and may have affected our relations in some ways, we should not forget that it was during this time that all of us revisited old board games, photo albums, binge-watched all the movies and TV shows that were pending, and did it all while sitting in the comfort of our homes with our families by our side. We should look at the silver lining, we should thank the lockdown that brought families closer. It helped people take a step back and relax from their busy schedules, it helped us regain our work-life balance, in communicating effectively with our loved ones whenever there was a problem, and most importantly, it revived nature for a little while.

It gave us time to introspect and build skills of self-regulation to overcome the feelings of purposelessness.

In a nutshell, it made us look at 4 basic pillars that can and will help us lead a happier life. These are - self-awareness, effective communication, managing boundaries, and being empathetic and emotionally supportive because everyone is stuck in the same situation.