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SWNS couple

A year stuck in quarantine with someone actually counts as four years toward the relationship, a new survey has found.

That was calculated using a survey of 2,000 Americans — and a mathematical formula, designed to quantify the extra time couples have spent together.

A poll of 2,000 Americans in a relationship who live with their partners found over half said time has passed much more slowly over the past year because they’re unable to experience new things together.

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Frustrations among partners living together reached new heights in 2020, and being cooped up with a significant other can make even the small things annoying.

Sixteen percent found their partners hogging the desk or other shared space to be annoying — and nearly a quarter said they find their partner in the bathroom whenever they need to use it.

Eighteen percent said their partners have disturbed them on a work call, and another 20% said their partner’s “work phone voice” drives them up a wall.

Despite the challenges of being with your partner all the time, people have found some perks that come with spending so much time together. Seventy-three percent said quarantine has strengthened their relationship, and 65% learned more about each other.

That being said, this time together has allowed couples to have more discussions than they would have had the time to do otherwise. A third (32%) discussed their past more openly than ever before and really dug into the issues and any potential hiccups within their relationship.

Additionally, 56% discussed their future plans with their partners, while 34% have been more open about what they both want in the relationship.

Seventy-seven percent of respondents said they’ve learned more about what their partner actually does for a living as a result of working in close proximity to them throughout the past year.

Six out of 10 people surveyed (64%) said they work in a different room than their significant other as a way to get some privacy and alone time.

But respondents were looking for time together, too, and one out of three respondents (37%) said they take lunch breaks together.

source: people.com