The success of a relationship is dependent on many factors. How much time you make for one another, what you choose to do with that time, your personalities, your attachment style, your level of attraction, need we go on?
One such factor that we perhaps never expected to have so much influence, however, is the home. But according to new findings from eHarmony, our houses and the ways we live in them actually have a huge impact on our relationships.
The dating platform’s Annual Happiness Index this year focused on the events of 2020 and took a closer look at the many ways the pandemic influenced our life trajectories, and specifically, factors relating to our relationships.
The findings illuminate some key takeaways, some of which you might find surprising. Here’s what we discovered.
The pandemic was positive for relationships
While yes, a number of relationships dissolved due to unique circumstances in 2020, whether it was work stress or overexposure to a partner’s unignorable habits, generally speaking, the COVID-19 pandemic made many relationships stronger.
According to the survey, 71% of people were happy for the chance to isolate with a partner, while 58% said their relationships grew stronger as a result of the closeness. In addition, 47% said they learned something positive about their lover; something that made them feel more affection.
Personal space was key
Physical closeness solidified romantic bonds, but there was one caveat: couples needed their personal space. “As couples quarantined together and apart, they invested in new living spaces, discovered each other’s annoying behaviours and reorganised to achieve the perfect space to thrive at home,” the report reads.
Those without personal space in small homes may have struggled, but it seems many of us made physical changes to our homes to ensure each person had enough room to themselves. According to the findings, 53% of us reorganised, 41% redecorated, 37% purchased new furniture, and 22% of us moved to a new home entirely.
As for why this is, well a whopping 45% of people said these measures were taken because “more space” was required for them to feel happy. 38% even admitted that they needed a personal sanctuary away from their partners.
Sex lives improved (for some)
Everyone’s romantic lives were impacted by the pandemic, with some feeling the positive outcomes and others finding a lack of libido. Both were normal responses to a very abnormal situation.
Generally speaking, though, eHarmony’s Happiness Index found that sex improved for 39% of people. The statistics would show that sex either plateaued or even decreased in both frequency and satisfaction, but a separate study from Match found one in four single people had platonic roommate sex during 2020, so that’s new.
That survey found 71% of singles did not have sex with another person during the pandemic, despite a 7% increase in sex drive. This may explain why masturbation was up 17% and sex toy sales increased also.
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