Couples reveal the top three things they're arguing over since the coronavirus crisis

Couples all over the world were dealt an unprecedented curveball in their relationships when 2020 rolled around.

The coronavirus pandemic sees people who once couldn’t wait to get home to each other in the evenings after work cooped up in the same space all day long, as they both try to navigate a new world of working from home together.

Evenings spent catching up with friends, hitting the gym or sipping on a cocktail in our favourite bar now all seem like a distant memory as Australia’s government closed down everything but essential services.

And now a new study has revealed the top three things people are arguing over as they spend more and more time at home during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Wedding planning and relationship brand, The Knot, teamed up with relationship health brand, Lasting, to see how the coronavirus has really impacted couples.

Arguments in lockdown

They interviewed 1,000 engaged and married couples and found out that the number one thing people are fighting about in isolation is how often they’re having sex.

That was quickly followed by arguments on what they should spend their money on and how much mobile phone time their partner is having.

According to the report, 51% of engaged couples and 61% of married couples have discovered new things about their partners.

The top one being how the other person handles stress, followed by their partner’s snacking habits, new aspirations they have for post-pandemic and intricacies of the other person’s work.

Couples with kids struggling

Meanwhile, the report found that couples with kids were less likely to report a positive impact of coronavirus isolation on their relationship than those without children.

In fact, one in ten of the 1,000 couples surveyed found that the crisis had significantly weakened their relationship.

Dr Karen Phillip, a Counselling Psychotherapist and relationship expert, previously told Yahoo Lifestyle that “the most important thing is to recognise that everybody is going to behave differently.”

She recommends setting up an individual work space so you feel separated from each other during the day, keeping up contact with family and friends and taking advantage of the situation by trying something new.

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