Before the pandemic changed our lives for good, a lot of couples struggled with sexless relationships and marriages due to the hectic pace of life. Workplace stress, traffic jams, and other commitments outside of the family home left people with nothing but a wish to sleep once they return.
After COVID-19 hit the world, the initial lockdowns offered an unexpected vacation and a second honeymoon for couples all over the world. This, of course, included their sex lives too—free from the stress of everyday life, couples got to reconnect again, which in turn led to an increase in their intimacy levels.
However, recent research suggest that 2020 actually brought a decline in sexual activity among couples. After the initial enjoyment, anxiety, stress and uncertainty od life during the pandemic brought a significant damage to intimacy levels and sexual desire of partnered people.
Apart from these outside stressors, togetherness also proved to be toxic for relationships. Majority of people started spending all their time together, and being locked in isn’t easy for anyone. Couples started experiencing consequences of the so-called overexposure effect, during which they started noticing and being annoyed by habits they previously never noticed in their partners.
Although we do not know when we will bounce back to our pre-pandemic lives, the world is slowly recovering. For those who started experiencing troubles with their sexuality, this will bring a much-needed return into the routine.
Meanwhile, researchers from the Kinsey Institute suggest experimenting as a cure for pandemic-induced sexlessness. According to a recent study, one out of five couples who started using toys or tried new things such as role-playing, BDSM, or just new positions experienced an increase in the quality of their sex life.
