Just in time for Valentine’s Day, a new study is here to remind us how slow time feels during the pandemic.
Famous mathematician and Cambridge doctoral candidate Bobby Seagull teamed up with Groupon to develop a proprietary math formula that determines the quarantine relationship equivalent of “dog years” to quantify the extra time couples have spent together.
If it sounds confusing, it’s because it is, but the basic breakdown states that a year stuck in quarantine equals four years toward the relationship.
The point in the study was to uncover how quarantine has impacted couples working from home and according to the research, nearly 60% say COVID-19 has been the ultimate test in their relationship since couples have spent so much time together.
“The pandemic has been challenging for couples on many levels, however there are some strategies that they can implement to alleviate any stressors that arise in the relationship. One such strategy is to create a filter system for each specific stressor,” said Bernard de Wet, a Chicago-based licensed couples’ therapist.
“For example, checking-in with your partner and asking, is this a pandemic-related stressor or would this stressor still be present regardless of the pandemic? Having a filter system, and checking-in with your partner, may change the way you view the stressor and make it easier to resolve it from a team approach.”
The good news is that despite the challenges, seventy-three percent say quarantine has strengthened their relationship and a further 65% learned more about each other.
To calculate how much your relationship has aged during the pandemic, use the calculator found here.
