If you and your partner rely on avoidance or sex to “solve” problems, chances are your relationship is hanging by a thread. Or maybe with social distancing, you struggled to find common ground with friends and relatives. Either way, the pandemic was an experience like no other, and it forced us to question every aspect of our lives, including love.

Since the shutdown in 2020, there has been a surge in separations, divorces, and breakups. This, while unfortunate, is not at all uncommon. The pandemic required couples to work from home and spend nearly all of their time with one another. If you add in layoffs, homeschooling, and social distancing the situation becomes even more stressful. To make matters worse, social hangouts were closed and couples who didn’t know how to communicate their frustrations in a healthy way argued more and more. 

Luckily, the pandemic didn’t just end relationships: it brought couples together, strengthening their communication and love for each other. With dating, it’s easy to focus on the physical and bypass the getting-to-know-you stage, but who you choose to be in a relationship with impacts the rest of your life. 

Establishing a solid emotional connection is the foundation for a successful union. If you had a rough day at work or were frustrated by social distancing, you communicated those emotions to your partner over the phone or with video chat. You had to communicate with your partner or the relationship would end, there was no other option.

The shutdown was difficult for many reasons, but it gave us the opportunity to stop and ask ourselves the tough questions we were avoiding: Am I heading in the right direction? Am I in a relationship with someone who builds me up and encourages me when I’m down? What do I love about this person? Is this person who I really want to be with? Difficult questions like this put you in the mindset to honestly communicate your reality and your goals for the future. 

Since the pandemic began, South Carolina Matchmakers have seen a huge increase in engagements and half a dozen marriages. We asked those couples what their secret was to finding love in 2021, and many said when they made love their priority everything else came naturally. It’s as simple as that!

When you stop making excuses and pursue love with your whole heart, you can find the forever relationship you want--even in a pandemic. Success in your career is wonderful, but be sure to make time for joy outside of work. After all, success means nothing if you have no one to share it with. 

Lasting love like you’ve never had requires you to do things that you’ve never done. Get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to make LOVE your number one priority. Focus on building a solid foundation, establish a genuine friendship and see how big your relationship grows!