With self-isolation and social distancing becoming commonplace in recent months, millions of people worldwide were ordered to stay at home. To slow down the spread of COVID-19, we switched to working, studying, and shopping remotely. Many of us cannot recall when was the last time we had a meal at the restaurant, attended a large group event, or hugged our parents and grandparents in a nursing home.

Relationship experts believe that the COVID-19 lockdown will lead to a rise in divorce rates in the world. Many people are anxious about spending too much time with others, no matter how close they are. But what are some new things people are doing to step out on their partners? Is relationship/marriage loneliness during the pandemic pushing people into cheating more so?

Studies show that about a quarter of marriages experience infidelity. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, people are engaging in affairs using technology more than ever before. 

A Feeling of Being Trapped in a Roommate Marriage

That feeling that you have been trapped in a roommate’s marriage may intensify during the pandemic. There is a fine line between friendship and marriage, which many couples cross without even noticing. All of a sudden, you realize that you don’t share affection, passion, and intimacy anymore. You feel lonely in your marriage, and you keep thinking of what you’re missing. Also, you still remember how different your relationship was when you first got married. 

Instead of trying to regain intimacy and restore relationship, some people seek to have their needs met outside their marriage. 

Membership for online dating sites and adultery sites has apparently risen during the pandemic. Many people turned to love and lust online during lockdown to escape tension in their relationships. 

Research suggests a direct link between exposure to stress and a decrease in sexual closeness and relationship satisfaction. Persons who are unhappy in their relationships are more likely to engage in extramarital affairs. Plus, the increased tension due to the pandemic may be contributing to more negative perceptions of one’s spouse or relationship. 

Being under quarantine or working from home means no opportunity to be away from a spouse. As going into the office is a kind of an outlet for many, staying at home with their partner, 24/7 can be a significant strain on their relationship. While spending time together, many people feel lonely and disconnected in their marriages. 

Is Grass Really Greener on the Other Side?

When everything else seems desolate, infidelity may feel exciting and refreshing, providing a nice distraction from day-to-day life. You might be tempted by the green grass of someone else’s lawn, believing that your life would be better if you were in a different relationship.

Never before, we spent so much time with our partners confined to our homes, nor we had this much time to weigh our life choices. So, a skyrocket of interest in dating and adultery sites doesn’t come as a surprise. Some people decide to stay invested in their relationship, while they start looking to have their needs met somewhere else.

Social distancing and travel restrictions made leaving the house tough for everyone. But that doesn’t stop many of us from connecting with people online. 

Emotional Affairs During Coronavirus

While couples are at higher risk of infidelity during the pandemic, the current regulations around social distancing have decreased physical affairs opportunities. So, the cheating methods during the COVID-19 have changed, and the use of apps and technology to stay connected has drastically increased.

Even without the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s modern technology and social media allow you to meet people and keep in touch quickly. 

Some people think that emotional affairs are not cheating. They set boundaries. However, it is a thin line between a close friendship and an emotional affair because emotional affairs typically develop through personal friendships. 

In emotional affairs, people develop emotional intimacy of a romantic relationship but with no physical engagement. However, an emotional affair means investing energy into someone other than the person you are in a relationship with.

Although emotional affairs do not include sex, they can be as harmful to a relationship as physical cheating because a need to feel connected to someone else slowly pulls you away from your marriage.

Emotional affairs are often an entryway to sexual infidelity. Surveys show that about half of emotional affairs do sooner or later turn into full-blown sexual affairs. Moreover, relationship experts believe that stress due to the ongoing pandemic will increase the likelihood of in-person affairs once the epidemic is over. 

Summary

Research shows that people feel stressed due to the coronavirus pandemic, so they turn to dating and affair apps or contact ex-lovers. On the other side, the social, emotional, and financial consequences of COVIS-19 could make reconciliation in relationships more difficult than usual.

An affair usually indicates an underlying problem in a marriage or relationship. Before your online emotional affair goes too far, think about what is missing in the relationship that makes you open to temptation. Consider couples therapy to restoring a conscious relationship, increasing mutual understanding, strengthening your bond, and helping your marriage heal.

To find out more about our services, click here: infidelity counseling.