Communicating with Your Partner about COVID-19 Worries

We all have worries about COVID-19 and how it will affect ourselves and our families. Depending on your circumstances, you may be experiencing stress and uncertainty as you wonder how this pandemic will impact your career, finances, relationships, lifestyle, or health. But different people express their concerns in different ways. This is one reason it’s so important for people in a relationship to communicate with each other about COVID-19 worries.

Be Specific

When you talk to your partner about your concerns, be as specific as you can. If you’re worried about the potential financial consequences of this pandemic, identify exactly what you’re afraid might happen. Are you worried about the national economy overall? Have you been laid off and are worried you won’t be able to find another job soon enough? Are you stressed about paying the rent? Being specific can help both of you to identify the real problem and make a plan to deal with it.

Work Toward Solutions Together

Once you’ve identified your worries as specifically as possible, brainstorm with your partner about possible solutions. Both of you bring unique strengths and assets to your relationship, so by working together, you can be more creative and successful in finding ways to fix a problem, reduce its impact, or just be more effective in managing the stress and worry it causes.

By communicating with each other about COVID-19 worries and working together to find solutions, you and your partner can strengthen your relationship, support one another, and deal with challenges in a healthy and constructive way.