Julia Hartley-Brewer

How to avoid a lockdown divorce

  • From Spectator Life
(Getty)

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Well, the coronavirus pandemic now provides us with the ideal conditions to test whether the opposite is equally true: does being cooped up together in a small space for a long period of time also do the same?

I think we all know the answer to that one.

It will come as no surprise to any married couple – happy or otherwise – that the Chinese city of Wuhan, epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, has seen a large spike in divorce cases after couples escaped from a month’s quarantine.

So, as millions of families across Britain embark on weeks, and possibly even months, of lockdown in their homes, here are my tips for helping you and your increasingly irritating other half to survive with your marriage intact.

The first thing to understand is that you’re in lockdown together for the long run. This is going to feel like being Richard and Judy on steroids, spending every waking and sleeping hour together.

Without work and socialising to distract you, it’s vital that you keep as much physical space between you as you can.

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