Let’s talk boundaries…

At first, the prospect of working at home with your partner can seem exciting as you can spend more time together and sleep in for a few more minutes each morning. However, after a few days of being in one another’s space all the time, your relationship dynamic may start getting a little tense.

Leading tech and gifts review site, GearHungry.com, conducted a survey of 3,000 workers to find out how self-isolation due to the COVID-19 coronavirus is affecting people’s relationships across the U.S. It was found that 51 percent of Pennsylvania couples say working from home every day has already put a strain on their relationship - compared to the national average of 45 percent.

Part of the reason could be that 1 in 3 people surveyed who are working from home now say they do not shower or bathe every day. Also, 15 percent of respondents say they do not get dressed out of their sleeping attire each day. Perhaps not the best combination for romance!

Moreover, 18 percent of Americans who are working from home with their partner say they do not have enough room to both work comfortably. Whether this is due to the lack of space inside your home or the amount of equipment/technology you require for your job, it is difficult to find a comfortable place to work within a space designed for living.

Many of us are aware of the difficulty that could come with self-isolation, however, some of us seem to be more prepared than others. The survey asked respondents which person in their relationship has taken the most steps to prepare for working in self-isolation and 97% of women said it was them. This is compared to 54 percent of men who said they have prepared the most.

It can be challenging to continue to work as usual from home as compared to working from your office, especially considering the number of distractions you face – such as TV, children and pets. Despite these distractions, 33% of respondents say working from home actually increases their productivity!

On a more positive note, it is revealed that 56 percent of American employees say they speak to their family now more than they did before the pandemic. This could be thanks to useful video calling apps such as Zoom, Skype, Houseparty and FaceTime.