How to Prevent Hybrid Working From Destroying Your Relationship
Because, unfortunately, you’re part-time co-workers now
When the pandemic forced us indoors, my wife and I lived in a one-bedroom, open-plan apartment. While it was the perfect place to come home to after a long day at the office, it was never meant to also function as a shared office as we went into quarantine.
For couples who were used to kissing each other goodbye in the morning and not reuniting again until dinnertime, living and working together at home became a minefield. Work habits and personas were suddenly on full display every day; I discovered my wife is a loud typer. She discovered I’m restless as hell (or as she laments, I’m a “rustler”). There were logistical issues, too, like Zoom call schedule clashes or how to divvy up chores when it seemed like everything got messier more quickly.
Most of us stumbled through this period, surviving on the hope that things would soon be “back to normal.” But now, that normal is the “new normal” of hybrid working, and it leaves couples facing many of the same issues going forward. My wife and I are still sharing our home 2–3 days a week (though we did move to a bigger one), and we’ve implemented some steps to help us.
